Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 24

Ingredients for Cupcakes

• 250g plain flour
• 30ml cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g soft, unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons red food colouring
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 175ml buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for Butter Cream Cheese Icing Sugar

• 500g icing sugar (no need to sift if using a processor)
• 125g cream cheese
• 125g soft unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line the muffin tins with paper cases.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft, pale mixture beat in the food colouring and the vanilla.
4. Into this vividly coloured mixture, still beating, add 1 spoonful of the dried ingredients, then 1 egg, followed by some more dried ingredients, then the other egg, followed by the rest of the dried ingredients.
5. Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this delightful batter between the 24 cases.
6. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, by which time the batter will have morphed into a more sombre, but still juicily tinted, sponge.
7. Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting until absolutely cold.

To make the buttery cream-cheese frosting

1. You can use all butter rather than half-butter and half-cream cheese for this icing.
2. Put the icing sugar into a processor and whiz to remove lumps. Add the cream cheese and butter and process.
3. Pour in the cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and process again to make a smooth icing.
4. Ice each cupcake, using a teaspoon or small spatula.
5. Decorate with silver balls, chocolate sprinkles, or anything else you feel will finish these off beautifully.