Red Velvet Cupcakes

"Cupcakes are all about having your own little cake without having to share it"*

Red velvet sounds very exotic.  So I must try. Again.  That's right-- again.  I made red velvet cupcakes last year when I just started baking.   It was a disaster.  You wouldn't call it red velvet at all.  It wasn't red, it wasn't chocolatey, it wasn't velvety. Even the cream cheese icing didn't cooperate.  After that, I stayed away from it. I didn't want another failure.  That was in November 2009.  Now, I am bolder, more confident and definitely hungrier.  November 2010.  There's no reason to hide. No reason to be timid.  It's been a year and I have every reason to be bold and conquer my fears.  I've raised a beautiful child who's now a chatterbox who never ceases to amaze me.  So I've got reasons to feel empowered.  Yeah, whatever.  I want red velvet cupcakes and I have enough alibis.  Empowered stuff and all plus the fact that it's Grandpa's birthday!  Nanawu's Grandpa, Naddy's daddy.  The wonderful, quiet, reasonable, sensible, funny and loving man that passed along good-quality genes to my partner in crime life.  

All in the family: Big cuppies representing Grandpa and Grandma.  Small cuppies representing the children and grandchildren

Armed with a promising recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, I decided to make this- on Grandpa's birthday.  I'm becoming more efficient in the kitchen in that I am more relaxed and I work faster.   I started when Nanawu was already starting his dinner after we got home from school.   Nanawu finished as I was icing those cuppies and offered some help.  No kidding.  He really said "help Manie (Mummy) kitchen."  I let him play "baker" for the day and he's quite happy doing that.  It's true,!

Here's the full recipe:

FOR THE CUPCAKES

1/2 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons red food coloring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk**

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 stick cream cheese, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners.

2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.

7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

8. To make the frosting: Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

**substitute for buttermilk: 1 cup milk plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Go ahead and half the recipe if you can manage to half an egg.  I did.  It's a risk I was willing to make because there are only three of us eating those cakes.  Doing the full recipe meant eating those cupcakes for a week and swearing never to touch any more for a year.  

Can you already feel the Christmas spirit?  We can definitely feel it in the Silvannas home 

It wasn't as red as I wanted it to be.  I ran out of red coloring and asked Naddy to pick up some on his way home.  He got me strawberry essence instead.  It's red, he said.  I waited in vain.   So I went ahead even if I wasn't satisfied with the redness of my mix.   I just crossed my fingers and was ready to blame the strawberry essence in case I fail.    I'm kidding, of course.  The cake turned out well, despite its paleness.  It has a hint, just a hint of chocolate and the taste was yum. The cream cheese frosting was heavenly.  Really velvety.   It's one of the best cakes I've made in my short baking life.

The weather is cooling, inviting me to bake and cook some more. I stayed away from the kitchen during the sweltering heat of summer.  But with Christmas just around the corner, of course I say yes to the  invitation.  Yes to more treats from my kitchen! 

*from joyofbaking