Red Velvet Cupcakes and My First Blogiversary

Can you believe that on Wednesday it will be one year since I published the first post about My Best Friend’s Wedding Cake?  It is just absolutely crazy.

So for my celebratory post on my first blogiversary (as those in the biz call it) I thought I would share the cupcakes that inspired the cake that inspired the blog.  These red velvet cupcakes are always popular whenever I make them, so much so that I made over 300 of them one weekend for a bunch of my brother’s friends.  I absolutely adore everything about them.

The first time I had a red velvet cupcake was at our local farmers market when there was a gorgeous cupcake stall (which is now no longer there) who sold all different varieties such as lemon meringue, lime, banana, chocolate and vanilla.  Being naturally drawn to anything red I was interested in the red velvets, plus the name is just cute, so I bought one.  Needless to say after I tried it I started the hunt for a recipe.

Whenever I consulted my friend Mr Google, Magnolia Bakery’s cupcake recipe was always featured in pages of results so I picked it as my first, and in the end only, recipe to try.  The thing I found very interesting was the recipe for their creamy vanilla frosting as it was actually made with somewhat of a roux base.  Because of this, before I even start the cupcakes the first thing I do is complete the first step of the icing which is to make the flour and milk mixture.

You need A LOT of butter for this icing (455g to be exact), milk, flour, sugar and vanilla.  The below picture looks like a lot because I was making one and half batches of icing on this particular day so do not be alarmed.

Place the flour and milk into a medium size saucepan and whisk until it is smooth.  Then place it on the heat and continue to whisk for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture starts bubbling and it becomes quite thick.  I cannot stress this enough – DO NOT GET DISTRACTED!  I have the attention span of a gnat and am easily distracted by shiny things, and you certainly can pay for it by burning the mixture or by not whisking the entire time and making it nice and lumpy.

Make a cartouche out of baking paper by folding a square slightly larger than the size of the pan in half then bring the folded edge across to form a triangle.  Place the tip of the triangle over the centre of the pan and then cut around the edge slightly larger than the pan in a curve so that when you open it up you have a circle.  Place this on top of the mixture as it will stop a skin forming while the mixture cools.

Set the mixture aside to cool completely.  Now it is onto the cupcakes.  You will need buttermilk, cake flour, sugar, cocoa, butter, red food colouring, eggs, salt, bicarb soda, vanilla extract/paste and apple cider vinegar.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add the eggs one at a time.  In a small bowl, mix together the red food colouring, cocoa and vanilla using a small whisk until smooth.  Add to the batter and mix well.

Add the salt to the buttermilk and then add it to the batter, alternating with the flour, taking care not to overbeat.  In a small bowl mix together the apple cider vinegar and bicarb soda which will start to fizz.  Add it to the batter and mix well to ensure it is evenly dispersed.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated.

Use an ice-cream scoop to divide the batter amongst your cupcake liners and then place in the preheated 180°C oven for 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To finish making the icing beat the butter the butter until light and creamy.  Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy, then add the vanilla extract.

Remove the cartouche from the cooled milk and flour mixture and then place it in the mixing bowl.  Beat on a medium high speed for approximately five minutes until the icing is very smooth and whiter in colour.  Cover the bowl (I use my KitchenAid bowl cover) and place in the fridge for 15 minutes (set a timer) and then use immediately.

You can ice the cupcakes however you see fit.  I placed a picture of the standard cupcake swirl and a rose on my Facebook page to see which one you liked the best and it was certainly the rose design, which is my favourite.  It is just so pretty.

Magnolia Bakery have their signature swirl which I would love to perfect but according to this video it takes 40 hours for the staff at Magnolia to perfect the swirl.  Better get practising!

I made these for the local hospital fete as well as to take some to my godmother who has been asking me to post her stuff.  In addition to the cupcakes I also made some rose macarons and a lemon sour cream cake with pine nuts so it was a very busy day.  Needless to say they were well received (and keeps me off the hook for a while).

So there you have it.  The cupcakes that inspired the cake that inspired the blog.  Thank you for reading over the last year, and here’s to the next!

Print Recipe

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from Magnolia Bakery.

Course

Cupcakes

Servings

cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 3 1/2 cups cake flour
• 170 g unsalted butter softened
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large egg(s) at room temperature
• 6 tbsp red food colouring
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarb/baking soda

For the creamy vanilla frosting

• 6 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 455 g unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Course Cupcakes Servings cupcakes Ingredients For the cupcakes 3 1/2 cups cake flour 170 g unsalted butter softened 2 1/2 cups sugar 3 large egg(s) at room temperature 6 tbsp red food colouring 3 tbsp cocoa powder 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 tsp bicarb/baking soda For the creamy vanilla frosting 6 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 455 g unsalted butter softened 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and place cupcake liners into 2-3 cupcake pans (this recipe may yield up to 36 cupcakes).
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on a medium speed for about five minutes.
3. One at a time, add the eggs to the mixer beating well after each addition.
4. Whisk together the red food colouring, cocoa and vanilla extract/paste in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the batter and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir the salt into the buttermilk in a measuring jug. Add to the batter, alternating with the flour, in three parts mixing well after each addition but taking care not to overbeat.
6. Mix the apple cider vinegar and bicarb soda together and add to the batter and mix until evenly dispersed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter amongst the prepared cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the creamy vanilla frosting

1. Whisk the flour and milk in a medium size saucepan until smooth. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and whisking constantly cook until the mixture starts to bubble and becomes very thick (approximately 10-15 minutes). Place a circle of greaseproof paper directly on the mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Place the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium high until the butter is smooth and creamy.
3. Slowly add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Add the cooled milk and flour mixture and beat on medium high for a further 5 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth and whiter in colour.
5. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 15 minutes, using a timer, and then ice cupcakes immediately.