Red Velvet Cupcakes

Made them finally.  I think its such a hype as its basically a chocolate cake with a dramatic red colour.  This is then offset by a cream cheese topping.  Makes for a beautiful looking cake but somewhat letting down in flavour.  I made mine as cupcakes and cut out little hearts for the top to make them somewhat more dramatic.  Also did not use cream cheese topping but just a whipped cream one.

Ingredients

125 grams flour

1 tbsp or 15 grams cocoa powder

110 grams butter 

150 grams sugar - grind to make castor sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

120 ml buttermilk - to make this take 1 cup milk and add in 2 tbsp malt vinegar.  leave to curdle for 5  mins

1 tbsp liquid red food coloring

1 tsp white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Line cupcake tray with liners

In a mixing bowl sift the flour and cocoa powder. 

Using an hand or electric mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg, beating well.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 -30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. 

Once cooled, I cut of the tops [level with the cupcake liner] and using a heart shape cutter, cut out little hearts.  Ice the cupcake with whipped cream and place the heart cutout on top.