Red Velvet Cupcakes
Put on your best southern accent and bake up a batch of traditional red velvet cupcakes using this recipe from one of our favorite southern chefs. Topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting and a GODIVA Ultimate Dessert Red Velvet Cake Truffle, we just can't get enough!
Yield: 12-18 cupcakes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Preparation: 30 minutes
Recipe courtesy of Elizabeth Karmel, Executive Chef of Hill Country Barbecue and Hill Country Chicken
Cupcakes
3 ½ cups cake flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 cups vegetable oil
2 ¼ cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pans.
2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt together in a bowl. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds. Divide batter among cupcake pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
3. Remove cupcakes from pans, and set on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting. Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, frost with a crumb coat, let dry and then frost again. Decorate with a Godiva Ultimate Dessert Red Velvet Cake Truffle.
4. Refrigerate if making in advance.
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2-2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Pinch of fine-grain sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. With a handheld electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat, on low speed to combine. If too soft, add a little more sugar and chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using. If the frosting is too cold, it will not pipe at all.