Red velvet cupcakes make a day better. I’ve been a bit under the weather and cupcakes with pink cream cheese icing can do wonders when you’re feeling sorry for yourself.
Nobody ever wants to hear that there are problems in the lady department but more than that, no woman wants to hold her hand up and say it’s her. It’s me. That’s why I haven’t visited your blog this week. I’ve been told if I behaved myself all would be better and it’s getting that way. Typing standing up I’ve found to be next to impossible since I don’t have one of those fancy dancy stand-up desks.
I did make it to the Brisbane Pro Blogger event yesterday and today I met John’s son who arrived in Brisbane today from Singapore.I hadn’t seen him for a year so I was pretty excited to see Andrew get off the plane. The first look made my mouth hang open. All I could think of was Charlie Louie because Andrew looks just like Ned Kelly. I asked why the Ned look and he said, “Why not?” When he left home he had a very well trimmed short beard – alas no longer.
The company he works for has arranged the most beautiful apartment for him in downtown Brisbane. When I walked through the door and saw the view all I could say was “wow.” I didn’t have my camera so I took this with my phone from his new balcony.
These red velvet cupcakes were a breeze to make and I’ll admit that they were pretty easy to eat too. Normally I just make white cream cheese icing but I watched a Youtube video where someone made them pink and I thought they looked cool. I found out I prefer them white and would leave off the red food colouring.
- 300g (2 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 30g (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 315g (1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 250ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- 200g (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons red food colouring
- 2 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
- 300g (2 cups) icing (confectioners) sugar
- 120g (1 stick) butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Preheat oven to 170°C / 338°F and line muffin pans with 18 standard size paper cases.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
- Whisk in the sugar.
- In a large measuring cup whisk the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir until just combined and then mix in the food colouring.
- Divide the mixture among the lined pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer beat all the icing ingredients together until the icing is smooth and creamy. Spread over the cupcakes and
- Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, extra butter and extra vanilla until smooth. Spread over cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped walnuts if using.