Red Velvet Cupcakes

I watched the movie “The Vow” a few weeks back, and this quote caught my interest:

Paige:  “I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness, to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed, and to share the silence when they are not, to agree to disagree about red velvet cake, to live within the warmth of your heart, and always call it home.”

Red velvet cake…yum!  I kept thinking back on the movie as I was baking my first attempt.  It was actually quite easy – now my new favourite thing to make!

It all starts with this:

side note: I love making this so much that I went on Amazon and ordered a 3x16oz bottles (for total of $23 dollars!) – Food Basics for these little 3 tbsp bottles (28ml) was $2 each…which means that it would take 50 bottles of these to get to the 48oz from Amazon at a whopping price of $100.

Enough math – on to baking!  Preheat oven to 350F.  Get all your stuff assembled! (bamboo plant not part of it)

I’m so happy to be able to use my Kitchenaid again! Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (on medium), then to high and add the egg.  Use a spatula and make sure sides are well incorporated. Add in vanilla last.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder, add in salt.

 

In another separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and red food colouring.  (I’m now really glad that I have red mixing bowls – the dye really gets to everything if you’re not careful!)

 

Alternating between the milk mixture and the flour mixture, adding 1/3 portion at a time, mix on low/medium speed to the butter mixture.  Keep scraping the bottom and side of the bowl to ensure batter is well combined.  All in all ingredients together and beat on high until it’s smooth.

 

I dug around in the cupboards and found these cute pink polka dot cupcake liners! Don’t remember where I got them, but aren’t they cute?!  Line the cupcake tin so that it’s prepared.

Now comes the interesting part that makes you feel like a chemist.  (I had Nick help me with the picture taking since it requires fast hands).  In two separate small bowls, measure out the white vinegar and baking soda.  Then carefully pour the white vinegar into the baking soda bowl, creating a reaction a la chemist – aka fizz effect.  Use a spatula and quickly fold this soda mixture into the cake batter.  Mix thoroughly and then scoop into the cupcake lined tin. Isn’t the colour wonderful?

 

Pop into the oven for 20 mins and watch the prettiness.  It’s done when your toothpick tester comes out clean.

 

Leave in pan for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.  I was too eager to test it – waited 5 minutes and bit into heavenly goodness.  It was moist and warm…so good!

 

Onto the frosting – I’m personally not a big fan of cream cheese – but recognize that red velvet cake usually has this as their frosting pairing.  What I did was pair up a standard cream cheese frosting recipe with heavy cream and nutriwhip so that the cheesy taste is diluted – and is more whipped cream like.  Using the paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth.  Add the vanilla and icing sugar into cheese mixture.  Switch to the whisk attachment, and gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thicken.  Add more sugar/cream to taste/consistency.   If you are blending in the Nutriwhip – whip in a separate bowl and then fold the two mixtures together.

 

Put the frosting into a piping bag, I used the largest star shape I have, and piped onto the cupcake.  Add in some pretty red sprinkles on top for decoration. Ta-da!

  

 

Red Velvet Cupcake ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients:

1 – 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 – 8 ounce tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream (35%) + Nutriwhip (optional)