Red Velvet Cupcakes

For Nathan's birthday, Kacey and I made these delicious home-made red velvet cupcakes in a handmade box (pictured above!)

I have been wanting to make red velvet cupcakes since trying them for the first time last September whilst working in New York. It was two of my colleague's birthday's, and so Priya picked up a large red velvet cake, from Magnolia (which is really near the NY office!)
Jude also bought me red velvet cupcakes from Hummingbird in Soho for my birthday last month, that were so delicious.

My version weren't exactly as good as the bakery-bought ones, for a start I misread the red food colouring quantity and ended up only putting in a fraction of the amount and therefore the cakes ended up brown. But the cakes themselves were yummy, very rich and quite heavy, similar to a tasty brownie.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of The Guardian:


Magnolia Bakery's red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting

Makes around 24 cupcakes (no kidding, these quantities made a lot!)

Ingredients

For the cakes:
500g plain flour
165g unsalted butter, softened
500g sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp red food colouring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp salt
330ml buttermilk
1½ tsp cider vinegar
1½ tsp baking soda

For the Icing:
6 tbsp plain flour
440ml milk
450g unsalted butter, softened
450g sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. In a small bowl, sift the plain flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Whisk together the red food colouring, ­unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

Stir the salt in with the buttermilk and add to ­the batter in three parts, ­alternating with flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are fully ­incorporated, but make sure you do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda and add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the mixture into cases, then bake each tray of cakes for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 ­minutes. Remove from the tins and cool ­completely on a wire rack before mixing together the frosting ingredients and applying the icing.