Red Velvet Cupcakes: they’re everywhere!
You know how something isn’t in your consciousness at all and then one day, you discover it, and suddenly they seem to be everywhere? That’s how it was for me and Red Velvet cupcakes. The first time I ever heard of red velvet cupcakes was when a friend recently told me about the most amazing red velvet cupcakes she had in Chicago. It still didn’t really register in my mind then because I had not really had any opportunity to try them.
Then on my birthday, my friend Jessica brought me a red velvet cupcake from Sugar Butter Flour (no, not the blogger), a local bakery that she had just discovered and loved. I took one bite of the cupcake… and the next thing I knew, all that was left were crumbs on the table. That cupcake was amazingly good. I started going back to Sugar, Butter, Flour often, just to get my red velvet cupcake fix.
I was hooked on red velvet cupcakes!
Then I decided it was time to try to make this on my own. And yes, just around the time I started looking up recipes, pictures of these cupcakes started to appear in more blogs and food picture sites. It was like a signpost telling me, “Jump on the bandwagon, Annie, and get on with it.”
Jumping on the bandwagon
So last week, I had guests over and decided to try a recipe. It didn’t look too hard. I had almost everything needed including red food coloring (all 2 Tbsp of it!). I also figured, I had a flavor standard (the Sugar, Butter Flour cupcakes that I devoured so much of to feed my addiction) that I could use as my benchmark.
For my first attempt, I tried the recipe posted on Em’s blog. It was a very simple recipe and didn’t take too much time at all.
Frosting to die for
I found the cupcake recipe itself to be not moist enough (it wasn’t a bad recipe but not quite what I am looking for). But the killer in this recipe had to be the frosting—it was SO GOOD!
Seriously, that frosting—TO DIE FOR! And when I served it after our Killer Kalbi meal, even my overstuffed friends found room to eat a cupcake. One friend who doesn’t care too much for cakes said she would share with her hubby and took one bite then took another and then another. She said the frosting was really good. So Em, thank you so much for the incredible frosting. I don’t think I need to look for any other frosting.
Em’s Magnificent Cream Cheese Icing
Adapted from the 06/98 Epicurious.com Cream Cheese Icing recipe
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese – room temperature, divided in three parts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter – COLD
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and combine very well. Add the first third of the cream cheese and combine very well. Add the shortening and combine very well. Add the remaining cream cheese one piece at a time, combining very well after each. Combine thoroughly until light and fluffy.
Coming back to the cake itself, I’m still on my search. The next recipe I try will be one I found on the Food Network website. Do you have a red velvet recipe that you’d like to share?
Cheers, Annie
>Cupcakes are the IN thing now…even in Hong Kong.
P.S The celery shreds – they were done using a fruit shredder! 🙂
>So glad the icing worked out for you 🙂
Have a delicious day!
~Em
>This is my great aunt’s recipe (we’re from NC, so it’s authentic and all that):
1) Sift together two cups of flour, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of baking soda, and two tablespoons cocoa.
2) Cream 1-1/2 cups sugar and two cups oil. Make sure it’s well blended.
3) Beat in a couple of eggs. Again, make sure it’s well blended.
4) Add a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar and about half a bottle of red food colouring (the recipe says two bottles, but I find that slightly silly). Blend that in, then drop your mixer speed down to low. 5) Alternate the dry ingredients and a cup of buttermilk. Start with flour, then buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. Make sure to blend the dry ingredients all the way in before going to the next addition. 6) Finally, add a teaspoon of vanilla, blend it in, and then pour your batter into two greased 9″ round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until it tests done.
If you do it in cake pans, you cool fully on racks before turning out and frosting. I’m sure it would work in cupcake tins too, though! You might adjust the time a little. I have no idea what the red velvet cupcake craze is, but it’s fun to watch 🙂
>@Tigerfish – hm, I wonder if the cupcake craze here started the trend over in Asia, or is it the other way around?
@Em – Your frosting is the bomb! Thanks again!
@Judith – I am honored that you shared your great aunt’s recipe with me! We will definitely try it out.
Anyone else feel like sharing their tried-and-true red velvet recipes?
>The frosting does look amazing!
>your frosting does sound delicious, but for a more authentic version (at least according to my outspoken birmingham, alabama, grandmother), try this variation. it is truly to die for:
mix together 6 tablespoons flour and 1 cup milk in a small saucepan. bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. let cool at room temp for 2 hours.
in a separate bowl, cream together 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar. add in flour mixture and beat until light and fluffy.
>Those are some mighty fine cupcakes!
>Wow, they look amazing! I should try to find a gluten free version…you’re right, they are everywhere now!
>I’ve not made red velvet cakes before, but you make them look mighty good! Love that last photo with the frosting.
>@Sweet & Saucy – thanks!
@ana dane – really, there's no cream cheese involved in your grandmother's frosting?
@snag – thanks!
@Jeanine – hm, a gf version sounds interesting.
@nicisme – thanks. You should try it out too.
>wow – look at the awesome vibrant red!
>@Steamy – We got the industrial-size bottle of red food coloring LOL.
@Alysia – Oops, I accidentally deleted your comment. Please email your red velvet recipe to me. See the About Us link for our email address.
(Gotta get that contact page up mutter mutter mutter)
>So stylish and professionally decorated.
You give me courage to try again. My last attempt tasted horribly of chemicals, too much red dye, no doubt, yet they wouldn’t color up.
>@Susan – thanks! Good luck with your next attempt.
>Ever since I saw your post, I have been wanting to make these cupcakes. I finally did using your cream cheese icing recipe and red velvet recipe (found here http://butterandlove.blogspot.com/2007/08/sinful-red-velvet-cake.html) they were a hit!! The recipe I found was an adapted version of a Paula Deen’s red velvet cupcake recipe and very flavorful and moist. Yum!
>@Alyssa – thank you so much for the red velvet recipe suggestion!
>Your cupcakes look heavenly. I’ll have to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
>these look sooo good. I never had this treat before. (but I am a food-coloring phobic…)
>@Nurit – what’s wrong with food coloring?
>What tip was used for the one frosted with the nuts on top?
>@Anonymous – don’t know…that one was from Sugar Butter Flour!
How come my red velvet cupcakes have flat tops and not roundish? What could be the problem? thanks.
I’m not sure as you have not given me much to work with. My first thought would be that your leavening agent might be expired or that you used too little of it. Without more information, I can’t really give you a good answer. It could be so many things–the temp of your oven, the leavening agent, not enough aeration when you mixed your ingredients…
Hi Annie & Nate
I’ve tried your recipes – honeycomb cake, dutch apple bread, pies, banana cake …..and I must say they are all awesome! I’m gonna try the cha siew bun and the red velvet cupcakes soon. Ive used your banana cake recipe for my cupcakes and they turned out great! They do look good and taste awesome! Thank you so much for being so kind to share your recipes with us.