Merry Christmas! Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes

Which would you like to hear first? The good news or the bad news? Let’s start with the bad… I’m completely snowed in. Utterly. Completely. Totally. I’m cooped up in my house with frigging 40 cm (that’s 16 inches) of snow outside! Crazzzy! The good news is that I stocked up on flour, sugar, butter and eggs which means I can at least entertain myself with baking. The Christmas madness will have to wait; I’m going to spend the next few days in the kitchen.




Red velvet cupcakes can be tricky. First of all, do you fold the baking soda & vinegar into the batter, or mix it in? How much red food coloring should you add? What kind of frosting goes best with red velvet cake? And then I’m not even talking about the likelihood that your cupcakes might overflow or, worse, sink. It seems all so much easier to buy a cake mix for red velvet cupcakes. There’s just one little problem… Red velvet cake mix disgusts me. Not ALL cake mixes, just the red velvet kind. I was feeling brave last night and decided to give this recipe a go. It turned out to be the easiest and best tasting red velvet cake I have ever stumbled upon. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.




Red Velvet Cake: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook - Allysa Torey & Jennifer Appel

Ingredients: Makes one 3-layer 9-inch cake, so for cupcakes you better halve this recipe.
- 3 ⅓ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons red food coloring
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper. Or line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
- In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
- For cupcakes: fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake the cupcakes for 20 - 25 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them on a wire rack to cool completely.



Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook - Allysa Torey & Jennifer Appel

Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
- Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly


Wishing you a very merry Christmas
and a happy, healthy & prosperous new year!


Joyeux Noël!