Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes With Italian Meringue Frosting Food

MINI RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH ITALIAN MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 mini muffin cups or line with paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake and pastry flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
• In another small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg, food colouring and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture and whisk until smooth and well-combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until toothpick in centre comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
• Italian Meringue Frosting: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let mixture boil for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While beating, add the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream and beat for about 5 minutes or until glossy stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.
• Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with gold flakes or sugar as desired.

RED VELVET MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 48 mini muffin cups (2 large tins or 4 small) with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the oil and granulated sugar on medium-high speed with a hand mixer in a large bowl until well combined. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Beat in the food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.
• On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, and then beat into the batter until fully incorporated.
• Using a small ice cream scoop sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH FLUFFY MERINGUE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with pink or white cupcake liners
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Occasionally turn off mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to low, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until incorporated after each addition. Add the food coloring and vanilla and mix well.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour, waiting until each addition is well incorporated before adding the next. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and soda, and once fizzing has stopped, add to the batter and mix well.
• Divide the batter evenly in the tin, filling each liner about 3/4 full. Bake until cupcakes are set and spring back when touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For meringue icing: Bring a few inches of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold a standing mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together in the bowl until combined. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, 4 to 5 minutes. With the speed on low, add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase speed to medium and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and holds a stiff peak, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• To decorate: Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup meringue over each cupcake and sprinkle with nonpareils. Cupcakes are best served the day they are made.
• Cook's Note: If you're unable to find gel food coloring, add drops of liquid food coloring until the desired shade of red is achieved.

MINI RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F/176C degrees. Grease and flour a mini muffin/cupcake pan and set aside.
• In a large bowl using a stand-up mixer or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until mixture is pale yellow in color. Add vanilla extract, red food coloring, and cocoa to mixture and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, and cider vinegar. Set aside.
• Add the milk/yogurt mixture and the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating between the two and mixing well after each addition.
• In a separate medium bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
• Fill mini muffin cups 3/4 from the top and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool completely on wire rack.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES - LIGHT AND EASY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar and salt, then using a handheld or standing mixer, beat on medium-high for about 5 minutes (until pale and mix has doubled in size).
• Add the grated beets, flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder and baking powder; Stir to combine.
• Add the buttermilk and food coloring then beat again to make sure that all the ingredients are well-incorporated.
• Spoon batter into the cupcake liners (be sure not to fill more than two-thirds of the way up as it will overflow when cooking).
• Bake for 30 minutes; While the cupcakes are cooking, make the icing:
• Prepare a double boiler; Place all the icing ingredients in the bowl of the double boiler, and stir to dissolve the sugar with a clean metal spoon for exactly 4 minutes; the mixture should be warm.
• Remove the bowl from the heat, and beat with a hand or standing mixer on high speed, until cool and the mixture has turned into a meringue, no more than 5 minutes (The mixture is ready to use when it has formed stiff peaks).
• Pipe or spread 1 heaping tablespoon of the icing over the cooled cupcakes. ( take care to ice the cakes very quickly, as the icing will start to set and is best when just made).

MINI RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH ITALIAN MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 mini muffin cups or line with paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake and pastry flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
• In another small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg, food colouring and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture and whisk until smooth and well-combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until toothpick in centre comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
• Italian Meringue Frosting: In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let mixture boil for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. While beating, add the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream and beat for about 5 minutes or until glossy stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla.
• Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with gold flakes or sugar as desired.