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.
Hope you are on the mend soon Maureen! The cakes look just lovely, so pretty for an afternoon tea with a compassionate gal pal perhaps? Dxx
They look absolutely gorgeous Maureen. Interesting the red food colouring changed the taste so much. And what a view!
These cupcakes are so pretty.
Also, I’d enjoy hearing about your Lady Problems.
I promise you, it’s not enjoyable. Let’s just have coffee and a cupcake and you can tell me some stories. 🙂
Im absolutely agree Maureen!!
These make me feel.happy look beauty and perfect:)
Oh now I hope you’re on the mend and feel better soon!
Such beautiful piping skills. Red velvet always makes a lady feel better 😉
Beautiful icing on the little cupcakes….
i am sitting at the airport, hard to type on iPad but wanted to wish you full recovery from your troubles…..
you need a long nice break from problems!
I hope you are feeling better!
Your cupcakes sound and look amazing!
Sorry to hear you’re under the weather! Hope you’re feeling better soon. I’ve thought about a standup desk — I spend so much time sitting. One of these days I really need to pile up some boxes or books or something to raise the monitor and keyboard and give it a try to see what it’s like. Anyway, red velvet cupcakes make anything better. Get well!
Peter and I invested in a Varidesk last year… with my reflux, I cannot sit for too long, besides it’s so bad for you. The Varidesk was not cheap, but it sits on top of the existing desk and works brilliantly.
Maureen, not only gorgeous, these brightened my otherwise down in the dumps day. Thanks so much for sharing!
Very cheery and happy look – hope you are on the mend Maureen. Typing stand up is not easy I will agree.
These cupcakes are beautiful! So enticing and would definitely make anyone feel better. Well wishes are sent your way!
Hello Maureen hope this now finds you feeling much better. I love a cupcake myself. These look happy and very elegant. What an apartment I must say!
I do hope you are feeling better soon, but in the meantime wow – I’m so impressed at your icing skills, so professional looking!
Hey huni, call if I can give you a hand….
Your cakes look divine :))
You rock xx
I’m so sorry that you haven’t been feeling well, Maureen. Hang in there, friend. 🙂
And you’re right about red velvet cupcakes – they can do wonders! Beautiful photos too!!
What an elegant plate of cupcakes, especially the piped frosting!
Between the cold weather causing my knee/hip to flare up in agony and exhaustion at the end of the day, my cooking has slowed down to the bare essentials like thawing a container of soup from my freezer for supper. No time for making any desserts. Maybe in the spring. 🙂
Oh no Maureen not more health problems! You really are having a rough trot the two of you! Would love to hear how the ProBlogger event was? I bet you were happy to see Andrew after a whole year. I dread Ollie ever moving away.
Having the babes leave the nest is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever faced. I didn’t want them to go. ProBlogger quickie event was really good but the photography session was fabulous!
Sorry to hear you’ve been unwell, love… hope you’re back to good very soon. Lovely cupcakes… I want to try that rose icing, it’s so pretty.
I say Wow, too! And not just the view! My hubby has a stand up desk. He likes it. And it keeps him from having so much clutter around which makes me happy. Hope you re feeling better soon. These cupcakes would make me feel way better, even if i wasn’t feeling bad!
So, so, soooo Pretty ! I just want to look at them they are so beautiful !
It is snowing again here today. So pink roses on top of Red Velvet Cake was just fine with me. Anything but white.
Hope you feel better soon.
Sorry to read you were under the weather, Maureen. (Hope the ailments have passed / are passing quickly.) …Pink cheers this Ninja Baker, too. And even if you adorn the velvet cupcakes in white next time, I’d swoop them up without a second thought…BTW When/if you feel better, would you kindly advise what tip number you use to create those gorgeous swirls? (I’ll use your contact form to advise my e-mail.) As for the view from your step-son’s abode in Brisbane…oo-la-la! The young man is doing well and his papa must be very proud indeed.
Are you two trying to out-do each other?! Seriously though, I hope you’re feeling better soon. I’m rubbish at pipping cupcakes but thank fully there’s a cupcake shop nearby – yours look incredibly professional x
I got tired of him getting all the attention. Yeah, that’s what it was. 🙂
Boo on the lady problems. And boo on standing up to type. 🙁 Great apartment view though (beard notwithstanding), and hooray for red velvet cupcakes! Feel better soon, Maureen!
I hope that these beautiful cupcakes are made you good and you feel much better !
Keep baking and carry on 😉
Beautiful cupcakes and beautiful view. I’m not sure how big those cupcakes are but I’m guessing I would have at least two. 🙂
These red velvet cupcakes are looking sooo good Maureen. I actually love the colored icing. It looks awesome.
Gosh I too am sorry that you have been under the weather! I know cupcakes that looked as great as these and probably taste even better would make me feel better. I know something like that shouldn’t, but they do. The picture from the balcony is pretty impressive. I would be sad if I hadn’t seen one of my two sons for a year. I am blessed to have them within
an hour’s drive.
So sorry you’ve not felt well. It is harder to get over things the older I get, and the grumpier I am about it – haha. Hope you are feeling fit soon. Red velvet cake has always been my most favorite. I’ve never made them in cupcakes but love yours. They are decorated beautifully. Have a wonderful visit – looks like he has a great view. I’m watching it snow here in Virginia. I think we have 8 inches so far. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sorry Maureen you haven’t been feeling well but I’m glad you’re doing better.
That view is stunning, I’m not sure I’d ever leave the balcony. I can’t believe you got that pic with your iPhone.
Love your pretty cupcakes, white or pink, they’re gorgeous! And yes, they do look like they could cure just about anything that ails a soul.
Sorry to hear that you are having issues.. get well soon. I would love to have a treadmill desk.. I’ve tried making my own but could not type well on the keyboard:). Nice cupcakes and I agree with you better not add the red coloring.
I was drooling when I saw the cupcakes photo, they are so perfect and love the color. Hope you are feeling better.
What beautiful cupcakes. You decorated them so well. I do love your roses. How lovely to have Andrew ‘home’. He certainly has been put up in an apartment with a fantastic view. I’m sorry to hear about the beard! I’m so glad my Archie is done and dusted with that phase. I hated his look so much that whenever he entered the room I had to avert my eyes. I’m sorry to hear you haven’t been well and I do hope you’re making a swift recovery xx
I sort of like the pink coloring of the icing on your cupcakes. As far as Andrew goes, I guess all we can hope for is for ‘Movember’ to roll around soon- maybe he can shave off his beard then. But then again, I’m a child of the 60’s- I thought then that beards were here to stay!
Aw, hope you’re feeling better now. Drink lots of tea! But yes, these cupcakes should lift your spirits – mine’s been lifted just by reading this 🙂
Lovely icing job Maureen, very sweet indeed 🙂 That is a lovely view, lucky fella! Hope your lady issues sort themselves out soon, I had mine dealt with last year and it was well worth it even though there was a long recovery xo
Lady problems are the worst! And men never quite understand now do they? 😉 I’m quite smitten with these cupcakes!
I’m sorry to hear of your lady problems. Other than a few hot flashes a day, touch wood, I’ve been ok.
I totally get cupcakes that make you feel better, but I don’t get red velvet at all. Notwithstanding, I do love the beautiful way you’ve piped the icing on top.
Wow Maureen that view is stunning – though I migth have been distracted from it, if I had a plate of these gorgeous cupcakes in the kitchen!! I sure hope you start feeling better soon!
Beautiful, love the icing!
Actually, I’m all about openness about problems in the lady department. It helps us all feel less alone and understand our bodies better. Hope everything’s feeling/acting better for you xoxo
I’m on the mend, thankfully. These things happen. 🙂
Wow, those are so pretty. I love your icing technique.. I need some seriously help there. 🙂
Lady troubles? I am glad you didn’t go any further than that!! He he!! Those red velvet cupcakes look a dream. And I’m so happy to hear you got to spend time with Andrew!! 🙂
I’ve been so swamped lately and am just catching up with your blogs. I’m so sorry to hear you weren’t feeling well! At the very least though these cupcakes look like the perfect pick-me-up. Feel better!
Such a pretty job on the frosting, Maureen!! I can always go for a red velvet treat- my husbands favorite too. These look delicious.
Hi, I really do hope you are feeling better now and it was lovely to read all the messages of support on your comments. I hope they help? My daughter has been asking me to may red velvet cupcakes for ages, so yours is the recipe I’m going to use. They look sooo beautiful. I’ll let you know how I get on. Meantime sending warm wishes that you return to full health ASAP. Sammie http://www.feastingisfun.com
Really dont understand the hipster beard myself. I was devo when that look became popular.
Red Velvet cupcakes however, they are a classic. I shall wipe up a batch on the weekend. The perfect pick me up treat! 🙂
Mmmm. Love me some cupcakes.