RECIPE | Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes
12:13 pm
For The Cupcakes
6 inch square vanilla sponge layer
20g Cocoa powder
Red food colouring
1 tsp Vanilla extract
100g Unsalted butter
140g Caster sugar
2 Eggs, medium
225g Plain flour
140ml Buttermilk
1/2 tsp Bicarb of Soda
1.5 tsp White vinegar
For the Frosting
200g Unsalted butter
500g Icing sugar
100g Full-fat cream cheese
METHOD
For the hearts
- Using a basic vanilla sponge recipe, half the recipe and bake a sheet of sponge approximately 6 inch square, or 8 inch round to make enough hearts for 12 cupcakes. If you want to cheat this bit, you could use shop brought vanilla cake or if you freeze your offcuts or spare layers from larger cakes, you can use those.
- Cut out vanilla hearts, using a 1.5inch diameter heart shaped cookie cutter.
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180C or 160C (fan) and line a deep muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.
- In a small bowl, add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food colouring.
- Gently mix together until it combines into a smooth paste, add a teaspoon of the buttermilk if it is too dry.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the caster sugar and butter. Beat until fluffy and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one.
- Add half of the flour and mix together until just combined.
- Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Add the rest of the flour and mix together, then add the rest of the buttermilk and mix. Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Add the vinegar and the bicarb, and quickly mix. Do not over mix, just until you start to see bubbles in the mix from the vinegar and bicarb reacting together.
- Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter between the cupcake cases, they should be approximately 1/4 full, and no more than 1/2 full.
- Place a heart into the centre of each cupcake case and fill the cases to approximately 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and cream cheese. Beat until smooth.
- Add the remaining icing sugar and cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Be careful not to overbeat the frosting as the cream cheese will slacken and maybe runny when piping.
- If the buttercream is too stiff, add a tsp of whole milk and beat until smooth.
To decorate
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1cm star nozzle with the cream cheese frosting.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in a swirl shape and decorate!
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