Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes are a classic, old-school cupcake from the 20’s. A good red velvet cupcake must be moist, rich, velvety, topped with a tangy, rich cream cheese frosting.

THE TRICK BEHIND MOIST, LIGHT CUPCAKES

Creaming: combining butter and sugar until light. Creaming isn’t just mixing together butter and sugar, it develops lightness and air. This lightness produces more airy cupcakes. Sifting: passing dry ingredients through a sieve to reduce clumps. Sifting is necessary because it eliminates all the clumps of cocoa powder and flour, resulting in a smooth, silky batter. Without sifting you could possibly have flour pockets that don’t dissolve. Folding: Gently combining something with a spatula. Folding the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients prevents gluten development. Do not mix the dry ingredients in, otherwise you will have dense, bread-like cupcakes. Whisking: Using a whisk to whip or incorporate air into something. Whisking the wet ingredients lightens the batter, and also prevents clumping. Buttermilk, Sour cream and oil: By add a small amount of sour cream and oil to the batter, the cupcakes become moister. Sour cream is a great dough hydrator. Oil is a great liquid fat that increases moisture, by only adding a small amount the cupcake doesn’t become greasy. Buttermilk is an sour milk that tenderizes, and moistens the cupcakes. Gel food colouring: the reason you should use gel food colouring over liquid is, it doesn’t thin out the batter, and produces an intense colour. Since liquid food colouring thins out the batter it could alter the structure of the cupcake.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 18-cupcake tin. In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.

In a larger bowl, cream together the butter with the sugar until lightened.

Next, whisk in the egg until fluffy.

Furthermore, whisk in the sour cream, vanilla extract and oil until combined.

Now, fold half of the dry ingredients and all the buttermilk.

Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients and the food colouring.

Divide among the cupcake tin and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Wait 3-5 minutes before removing for the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Pipe frosting on top and dust with cocoa powder. Enjoy!

5 from 4 votes

Print

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

18 mins

Total Time:

48 mins

 

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground espresso
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp full-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 2/3 cup full-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp red gel food colouring
• cream cheese frosting

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 18-cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a small-bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
3. In separate bowl, cream together the butter with the sugar until lightened.
4. Next, whisk in the egg until fluffy.
5. Now, whisk in the vanilla extract, oil, and sour cream.
6. Fold in all of the buttermilk and half of the dry ingredients. Once incorporated, fold in the rest of the dry ingredients and the food colouring.
7. Divide among the cupcake tin and bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
8. Wait 3-5 minutes before removing for tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
9. Pipe frosting over top.
10. Enjoy!

See Cream Cheese Frosting