Red Velvet Cupcakes

I recently baked a trial batch of these yummilicious Red Velvet Cupcakes for my nephew's 1st month baby shower.

My family loved it and gave these lovely cupcakes a big Thumbs Up! They loved the rich and luscious red velvet cupcake that is accompanied by a frosting that is not too sweet and not too oily. For the frosting, instead of using the usual Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) here, I added whipped cream cheese to the SMBC as I'm a firm believer that red velvet cakes and cream cheese frostings make the perfect pair!

This cream cheese SMBC is such a perfect frosting in our hot weather as it is more stable. Unlike the normal buttercream frosting that is laden with loads of sugar and butter, SMBC uses much less sugar and butter and is able to hold its shape better without 'melting' in room temperature. I had mine at room temperature for about 5 hours and the frosting was still holding well. Some fellow bakers on facebook had shared that their SMBC frosting held its shape for 16 hours!

Back to the cupcake...Other than cocoa powder and buttermilk in the cupcake and cream cheese frosting, the addition of coffee to this red velvet cupcake also renders a wonderful start and end to any snack or meal! 

Enjoy!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
adapted from divascancook.com
makes 15 small cupcakes

Ingredients:
125g plain flour
1/2 tbspn cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

110g sugar
110g oil (I use Medella's Organic Premium Coconut Cooking Oil)
1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk (store-bought buttermilk or buttermilk substitute recipe here)

These are the only 2 ingredients you need for buttermilk substitute

1/2 tsp red food coloring gel (I use Wilton food icing colour gel)

1 tsp vanilla extract

60g plain warm coffee (mix 60g hot water in 1 tsp instant coffee granules)

1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar

Cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream - for frosting (recipe will be shared in my next post)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, sieve plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.

2. In another big bowl, mix the sugar and oil.

3. Add in the egg, buttermilk, vanilla extract and food coloring. Mix till well combined.

4. Stir in the prepared coffee and white vinegar.

5. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined.

6. Scoop the batter into cupcake liners until 3/4 full.

7. Bake in preheated oven at 160C for 25 minutes or when an inserted skewer comes off clean.

8. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Frost the cupcakes with cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream.

10. Enjoy!

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