Red Velvet Cupcakes With Creamy Vanilla Icing Recipes

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 14 cupcakes, so you will have 2 cupcakes to bake in a 2nd batch.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 egg whites on high speed in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. See photo at the bottom of this post for a visual. Set aside.
• Sift the flour and cornstarch together to make sure it is evenly combined. Whisk this, along with baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat on high for 2 minutes. The butter may look "piece-y" and not completely combine with the oil. This is normal and ok.
• Add 2 egg yolks and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vinegar and the food coloring- until you reach your desired color. I use 2 Tablespoons. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold whipped egg whites into cupcake batter with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be silky and slightly thick. (If there are still pieces of butter - and there were in 1 test batch for me - again, this is ok. They will melt inside as the cupcakes bake. Making them even more buttery.)
• Spoon batter into cupcake liners filling 1/2 - 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-21 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake; your cupcakes will dry out. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting. Frost cooled cupcakes immediately before serving. I used a Wilton #12 tip; I don't recommend a star tip. This frosting is a little too thin.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAMY VANILLA ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
• To make the cake: 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 overbeat. 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.
• When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting .

MINI RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 30 mini muffin cups.
• Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
• Beat oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Slowly add the flour mixture; beat on low speed until batter is just moistened and still airy. Pour batter into the muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert cupcakes carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 15 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese and butter together in a clean stand mixer bowl. Slowly add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on low until smooth. Spread icing over cooled cupcakes.

MAGNOLIA RED VELVET CUPCAKES W/ VANILLA BUTTERCREAM AND/OR CREAM

Steps:

• CUPCAKES:.
• Preheat oven to 175°C Grease and lightly flour 2 cupcake pans.
• 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 colouring, 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 overbeat.
• 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.
• Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing.
• Fill a piping bag with the icing and spread over cakes. Big and swirly is the key!
• ICING OPTIONS:.
• Nota bene: Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:.
• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 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, 1 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.
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:.
• With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
• Pour in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
• Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy.