Red Velvet Cupcakes for Mother's Day

This Mother's Day I baked my mum's favourite Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! Personally, I too like Red Velvet for its rich Red Colouring, mild chocolate flavour and not forgetting the sweet yet tangy Cream Cheese frosting. I have baked this couple of times and it never fails to produce the same remarkable result and applause from my family.

Just once, I used a recipe which called for vegetable oil instead of butter. Since the recipe was recommended by a professional chef, I thought of giving it a shot.... BIG MISTAKE!!! The strong smell of the oil refused to go even after baking! What a waste of ingredients!! All had to go into the trash and I had to start all over again from scatch, using butter this time. So to save the trouble, after endless research I have decided to stick to one recipe that has given me rave success at home.

 

Recipe:	Red Velvet Cupcakes
Courtesy:	www.joyofbaking.com/ &  http://pinchmysalt.com/
Yield:	20 to 24 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2	cups	sifted cake flour (measure after sifting)
1	teaspoon	baking powder
1	teaspoon	salt
2	tablespoons	unsweetened cocoa powder
2	oz.	red food colouring (two bottles) (If that scares you, add gradually,
		increasing quantity until you get the redness you desire)
1/2	cup	unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2	cups	sugar
2	large	eggs, at room temperature
1	teaspoon	vanilla extract
1	cup	buttermilk, at room temperature (alternatively you can make your
		own by  adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to
		1 cup (240ml) of milk)
1	teaspoon	white vinegar
1	teaspoon	baking soda
PREPERATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 20 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. In a cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately  add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three   additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Yes the mixture will fizz!! Quickly fold into the cake batter. (Because baking soda starts to react with the batter right away, try to get the cupcakes into the oven as quickly as possible.)
6. Working quickly, use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full). Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Check early and don’t over bake!
7. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with creamy classic Cream Cheese Frosting (refer to recipe below). I used a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

                       

Recipe:	Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield:	20 to 24 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
8	oz.	(227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2	teaspoon	vanilla extract
1/2	cup	(60 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar
2/3	cup	(160ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35 - 40% butterfat)
PREPERATION
1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe.
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Note: Notice the 2 different kinda swirls... Hahaa I kinda experimented. See the frosting on the front right, I started the frost from middle swirling outwards. The frosting at the back left, I started outwards to middle.. Pretty ain't they!!  :)

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

I wanted to try out something totally different these weekend... So my dearest other half gave me this awesome brow raising idea.. He said why not try something with Sweet Potato..  I personally love sweet potato and it kinda made me wonder how exotic it will taste in cupcakes... I read up a little and thought this recipe would be a Great start!!

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Recipe:	Sweet Potato Cupcakes
Courtesy:	www.bhg.com/recipes  &  www.myrecipes.com
Yield:	24 cupcakes
Ingredients
2	cups all-purpose flour
2	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1	cup butter, softened
2	cups sugar
3	large eggs
3	medium red sweet potato
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract
	Cream Cheese Frosting
1	cup coarsly chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 400 Degrees F (204 Degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups

2. Pierce sweet potato with fork and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until completely soft and juices begin to seep from the potato and caramelize, about an hour. Reduce oven to 350 Degrees F (170 Degrees C).

3. When cool enough to handle, slice the potatos in half lengthwise and use a fork to scrap the flesh from the skin into a bowl, discarding the skins. Mash potato with fork until smooth. Alternately you can boil the potatoes with their skins peeled.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 secs. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until combined

6. Add sweet potatos and vanilla extract, beating until combined.

7. Add flour mixture. Beat until well incorporated. (Batter will be thick)

8. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Bake about 30 to 40 mins or until stick inserted in centres come out clean.

9. Transfer the tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing the cupcakes

10. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting topped up with the chopped pecans

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I was elated when I tried the raw batter!! YuMMyyy!!! The earthly smell of the nutmeg with the taste of the cinnamon and the crunchy sweetness of the potato - it was indeed a very unique taste. With that same excitement, I wanted to try another variation of the Sweet Potato cupcake. So I altered the original recipe by adding a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed Orange Juice to the batter after dividing the batter. I frosted the second batch of cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting topped with Orange Zest. 

Feel free to comment, especially my dear friends who have tried my Sweet Potato Cupcake.