Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

For once, I made cupcakes! I am not the biggest cupcakes fan. I like them. Sometimes I find a flavor combination that makes me love them. But I have some troubles with the idea of making them myself. I think it’s very hard to really mess up a cupcake recipe and get very bad cupcakes. But I also thing it’s very hard to get great cupcakes. I wow at breads, rolls, cakes, scones. But I really wow at cupcakes.

This time I wowed! And together with me other 40 people or so did. At Wally’s office they decided to have a Valentines’ day potluck. That week, however, many of them were sick, Wally included. He brought something in a few days later. At that point, I did not feel compelled to make something heart-shaped (thank god!). But when I found this recipe I decided that I could give up some of my V-day indifference and make, at least, red velvet cupcakes. Wally came home with lots and lots of compliments for me. Rumor has it one of his coworker had 15 mini cupcakes! Wow! That’s a lot!

First note: as you can see, they are not super flashy red. The reason is that I felt the 1 ½ tablespoon of food coloring was way too much for my tastes. If you don’t mind using that much food coloring, go ahead and make them bright red!

Second note: I doubled the ingredients to obtain enough mini cupcakes for everybody. I got 68 mini cupcakes! Yes, many many many! You can just half the recipe to obtain a normal amount of mini cupcakes or you can make normal size cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

                  For the cupcakes

                   

                  300 gr (1 1/2 cups) sugar

                  113 gr (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

                  2 eggs, room temperature

                  2 1/3 cups of cake flour

                  2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder

                  1 teaspoon of baking soda

                  1 teaspoon of baking powder

                  1/2 teaspoon of salt

                  1 cup of buttermilk

                  1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring

                  1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

                  1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

For the frosting

                   

                  113 gr (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

                  (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

                  400-600 gr (2- 3 cups) confectioners’ sugar, depending on how sweet you like the frosting

                  5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Method

For the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.

Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.

Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Frosting

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla extract and mix.

Add the powdered sugar, continually taste to get to desired sweetness. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Have a sweet day!

Source: Simple Recipes