Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It seems these days, that Red Velvet cake is the trendiest darling on the cupcake scene. Not wanting to be frumpy in the cupcake department, we, at the They Want Cake blog have jumped on this sweet bandwagon.

Actually I've been making Red Velvet for some time now, but recently have come to a final recipe and some major tweaking. This one is based mostly on a recipe that was published last summer in the Toronto Star newspaper. 

Two big changes, one, I substitute canola oil for butter in any cupcake recipe. I have found over and over again that it makes a much moister cake. Secondly, I like to use the "dump method" when it makes sense. Using oil instead of butter also lets you do this.

Ingredient list & quantities:

Cake

• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup buttermilk*
• 1 ounce each red food colouring (yes, an entire fluid ounce) and red wine vinegar. This is what gives the red velvet cake its colour.
• 2 tsps vanilla extract

* if you don’t have  buttermilk,  add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to ½ cup of regular milk. Let it sit for 5 mins till it gets kinda thick.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 ½ pounds cream cheese – at room temperature (3x large packs of Philadelphia)
• 1 pound of butter – at room temperature
• 2 pounds icing sugar, sifted – important to sieve otherwise will stay lumpy in the frosting
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• this particular batch had red food colouring added to it... it was a Valentine effort after all!

Method:

For the cake – dump everything into the bowl of a stand mixer, yes, dump it all in! Beat until creamy and smooth, it will be very red, watch for splashing! Use the regular paddle attachment, scrape down the sides with a spatula to ensure everything is blended.

Either scoop into paper-lined muffin cups or into two round cake pans – 2x8 inches.  Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes for the cupcakes, 30 to 40 for the large cakes. Check with toothpick for doneness etc.

Cream cheese frosting – whip butter and cream cheese together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add the sifted icing sugar and scrape down the bowl as required. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.  Use right away or store in the fridge for up to one week.

Serves:  depends who is eating ! - but really, if it’s cupcakes, there should be about 24 of them.

Date created: December 2010, adapted from various recipes tried over the past year.