These little beauties are the answer to any of life’s little hiccups. Really. Say, for example, you fall asleep with a candle burning in the bedroom of the apartment you share with four other people. Say, you wake up with the blankets on top of you up in flames… serious flames. Say, in fear and shock and sleep, you flee your room and run to your roommate’s room. You knock furiously. You knock like your bedroom is on fire, because it is. You knock, wondering why you’re knocking when your bedroom is on fire. Say, your roommate answers the door is just her underwear, hears your plight through sleepy ears, and follows you in disbelief to your bedroom, which is as you left it, on fire. Say, your brave roommate tries to help you put out the flames with the smother technique, using all of your clothes and pillows as fire extinguishers. It works, no thanks to you. You were fanning the flames, not smothering them. Say you and your roommate open your bedroom window and shove the charred remains of your blankets, clothes and pillows out, and watch them drop the three floors to the ground. How would you thank your brave, kind, talented roommate? How would you ensure your continued friendship help in future life threatening events? Red Velvet Cupcakes. They work. I have the friend and the blackened ceiling to prove it.
There are many, many recipes for Red Velvet Cupcakes out there these days. I’m always experimenting with new formulas. Sometimes I want more a darker, sexier cake with more chocolate. Other times I want a bright red vanilla bean cake. This recipe falls somewhere in the middle. I’ve adapted this recipe from one of my new favorite cookbooks from the always delicious Citizen Cake in San Francisco.
Buttermilk Red Velvet
adapted from Demolition Desserts
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Red Food coloring
1. Preheat the oen to 325. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the kosher salt after sifting and set aside. Measure out the buttermilk and red rood coloring. Add the die to the buttermilk for easier incorporation later.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar using an electric mixer, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, letting the eggs beat for 1 mintue in between additions. Scrape down the bowl in between additions.
3. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients. Start by adding one third of the flour mixture. Mix just to incorporate. Add half of the buttermilk. Add another one third of the flour mixture. Mix to incorporate. Add the last half of buttermilk, followed by the last third of flour.
4. Spoon into paper lined cupcake pans. Check the cupcakes after 12 minutes. Makes 12.
I topped these cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and chocolate ganache. Those recipes to follow.
Red Velvet Cupcakes. They’re all the rage now for a reason… because they taste delicious, and can help you thank a friend after an apartment fire. The candle on top of the cupcake… well I guess that’s just ironic.
Michelle
Oh so very pretty your cupcakes look. They look like Red Velvet hi hat cupcakes!!! Am not a big fan of RVC (esp. the toxic red type), but I wouldn’t pass them up either. Now if a RV Hi Hat cc would present itself to me, I just might jump on the scarlet bandwagon.
Deese
While perusing your cupcake lists I noticed something familiar. The cake stand in this posting is the same one I just bought! I stakeout antique stores and thrift stores weekly trying to find neat and interesting vintage cake stands, but this one? I found on ebay…yes I cheated.
But its so darn cute!
…and the cupcakes look good too. :)