Red Velvet Mini Cakes

I have read a lot about the famous Red Velvet cakes but never tasted them until I went to the US earlier this year. It's a moist buttermilk cake in a dramatic red colour topped with cream cheese frosting. Since then I have been looking around the internet for the recipe so that I could try baking it myself.

I adapted a recipe from Bakerella and used square paper cups instead. 





I gave a piece to hubby and a few minutes later....


Verdict? YUMMY!

Recipe:

2            large eggs, room temperature
1½ cups   corn oil
2    Tbs    liquid red food colouring 
1    tsp    vanilla essence
1    cup    buttermilk (to substitute: add 1 Tbs lemon juice to 1 cup milk)
1    Tbs    apple cider vinegar

2½ cups   multipurpose flour

2   Tbs     cocoa powder
1½ tsp    baking soda
1½ cups   sugar
1    tsp    salt

Frosting:

500g   cream cheese, softened

1 cup  unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp  vanilla essence
4 cups icing sugar, sifted

Method:

1) Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and whisk until blended. Set aside. 

2) Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and salt. Mix until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high until completely combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3) Scoop batter into cupcake paper-cups about ¾ full and bake at 175 degrees Celsius or until the top of a cupcake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.

4) When done, remove from the oven and cover all the cupcakes with a large film of clingwrap while cooling to keep the moisture in.

5) To make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth.

6) Remove paper from cupcakes, cut each cupcake into half horizontally. Place frosting in between the 2 halves, assemble, and frost the top as well. 

Enjoy!