Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
softened
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla essence
2 large free-range eggs
2 cups flour
1 baking powder
½ cup buttermilk
1 tbsp white vinegar
½ cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp red food coloring
3 cups icing sugar mixture
For cream cheese icing
150g butter
softened, for cream cheese icing
125g cream cheese
softened, for cream cheese icing
Equipment
- 1 12-hole muffin tin
- 1 cupcake papers
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 wire rack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside.
- Sift together flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix cocoa, water and food colouring together until you have a smooth paste.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy then stir in vanilla. Add one egg and beat for one minute, then add the second egg and beat in again for another minute.
- Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Add buttermilk, vinegar, and cocoa mixture then beat entire mixture until smooth.
- Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full and bake for 13-15 minutes. Stick a butter knife into a cupcake. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are ready. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
- To make cream cheese icing, beat together the softened butter, cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth.
- Completely cover the tops of the cooled cupcakes with the icing.
Notes
Tip
Don’t worry about your kids will go nuts after eating these cupcakes because of all the red food colouring – you can now buy all-natural red food colouring!
Variation
The red colour can be achieved through red food colouring (as I have done with this recipe) but you can also find recipes for Red velvet cake that use beetroot to give it its distinct tint.
