The Cook Book Challenge - Week 13 : Love

Week 13 : Love

Recipe :  Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cook Book : Jamie's America by Jamie Oliver

The buzz about red velvet cupcakes are in the air.  I've never eaten one  or even seen one.  So I had to see what the fuss was all about.  I thought making red velvet cakes will be perfect for Valentines Day and for this week's theme for the cook book challenge: Love.   After all, red is the colour of love, isn't it?

Hubby and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day though I have received roses some years in the past.  This year we celebrated it with my brother, @mrEd2U and his family.

The only thing that I was worried about while baking these little beauties was if it will turn out red enough.  I have read blogs where they had problems with the colour where the cupcakes turned out more brown than red.  I had red food colouring in the pantry but was one of those cheapo ones that come in a pack of 4 with 3 other colours.  To make sure, I went out and bought a proper red food colour.  From the photo below, you can see that colour of the cupcakes turned out just fine.

I made this a family affair and let my 3yo help decorate it.  For the frosting, I opted to use a chocolate ganache and not the frosting included in the cook book recipe.

I loved how it turned out.  It was, like it's name, velvety.  It was light and airy.

Fresh out of the oven

Makes 12 cupcakes

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 large egg

sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tablespoon of red food colouring ( I only used 2 tbls)

2 heaped tbls cocoa powder

150g plain flour

125ml buttermilk

1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

1 1/2 white wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 180degC and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.

Using an electric mixer cream your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Gently beat in the egg, a pinch of salt, the vanilla extract and the red food colouring.  In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa and plain flour and fold half of it into your butter mix, followed by half the buttermilk.  Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk until you have a smooth mixture.

In a small bowl, mix your bicarb of soda and white wine vinegar together so it fizzes up, and stir this into your cake mix.

Divide the mixture between your cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  To check they're cooked through, insert a skewer into the centre of a cake- if it comes out clean, they're perfect, if not just pop them back into the oven for another couple of minutes.  Leave them to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you make your frosting.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

230g dark chocolate, chopped

250ml of cream

Place the chocolate in a large bowl.  Heat the cream on medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Remove from the heat and pour into the chocolate.  Stir till completely mixed.  Cool completely by placing in the refrigerator.  When cool, whip using an electric beater. Whip till you get the desired texture.

Bon Appetite,

Cherrie