Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you have been following my blog for long enough, you might remember these fantastic Halloween Red Velvet Cupcakes. 

I decided to remake them, with two very different toppings. For the first batch, I used the classic cream cheese frosting; for the second, I used a slightly creamier/lighter frosting with a double cream base (instead of butter). Both turned out really delicious, so I think it really depends on personal preference. I've always loved the decadence of the red velvet cupcake- I will always reach for the classic cream cheese frosting. With that said, most of my friends enjoyed the creamier version.  

Enough rambling...onwards

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 24 cupcakes

Ingredients-For the cupcakes

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

1 cup Buttermilk (I used an equal amount of plain Greek Yoghurt)

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1-2oz Red Food Colouring

1 tsp White Distilled Vinegar

1/2 cup prepared plain Hot Coffee (I used hot Nescafe)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F, and line your muffin tins with cupcake papers

2. In a bowl, combine and sift Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Cocoa Powder, and Salt

3. In another bowl, cream Oil and Sugar. Add in Eggs, Vanilla Extract, Buttermilk/Yoghurt, and Food Colouring and mix. Then stir in Coffee and Vinegar

4. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until everything is combined

5. Pour the batter into each cupcake liner (3/4 full). Bake for about 15-20 minutes (mine took exactly 16 minutes) or until toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 mins, and then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 oz Unsalted Butter, at room temp

4 oz Cream Cheese, at room temp

2 ½ cups Icing Sugar, sifted

1 tbsp Vanilla

Method

Whip the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Then slowly add the icing sugar until incorporated. Add the Vanilla and continue to mix on low speed for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe or spread onto the cupcake.

Lighter Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe by justataste

Ingredients

2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temp

1 cup Icing Sugar, sifted

2 ½ tsp Vanilla

1 1/3 cups COLD Heavy Whipping Cream (or double cream)

Method

1. Beat (with a paddle attachment) the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Then add the sifted icing sugar, then add the Vanilla; beat to combine.

2. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the whisk. On medium-high speed, slowly stream in the cold cream until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. If it isn’t as thick, then just place in the fridge until it thickens. Pipe onto the cupcake.

Enjoy!