Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy Birthday Papery and Cakery! As we noted in yesterday’s post, Niki and I are both addicted to cream cheese frosting. As a tribute to that, and the first birthday of Papery & Cakery, I made delicious red velvet cupcakes with irresistible cream cheese frosting. Red velvet cake isn’t just cake with food coloring, the texture is actually different from both vanilla and chocolate cakes. The difference is caused by the use of cocoa powder, for rich, chocolatey flavor, and a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which creates a light and airy texture.
As always, I start by lining up all the ingredients. This recipe called for cake flour * I prefer Swans Down *
Sift together 2 1/2 cupcs cake flour, 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt.
Use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, and mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups oil until combined. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix in 1/2 tsp red gel-past food color and vanilla * I like the Nielson-Massey from Williams Sonoma *
Reduce speed to low * I like to switch to the whisk attachment * and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with 1/2 cup buttermilk (until you use the full 1 cup of buttermilk). Whisk well after each addition.
Stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar in a small bowl * it will foam * The vinegar (acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) create CO2 (carbon dioxide gas), this gas is what causes the cake to leaven. This is the standard procedure in making red velvet cake and this process causes the cake to be very light and airy.
Divide the batter evenly among lined baking cups, filling each three-quarters full. I like to use a large ice cream scoop to make sure that each one is equal and the entire thing will bake evenly. I also use that same scoop to distribute the icing as you’ll see below.
Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, rotating tins halfway through, until toothpick/cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
Icing:
I used my medium-sized ice cream scoop to make sure the icing was evenly distributed on each cupcake.
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Formula for Happy Birthday Papery & Cakery Red Velvet Cupcakes:
Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 tbsp unsweetened Dutch- process cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp red gel-paste food color
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Happy Baking and Happy Birthday!
xoxo,
Ali
