Red Velvet Choc Cherry Cupcakes Food

RED VELVET CHOC-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, whisking until fully incorporated. Sift in the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of salt. Fold in with a spatula until there are no lumps of flour remaining. Then add the buttermilk, food colouring and cherries, and stir briefly to combine. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 20 mins until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Warm the cream and cherry conserve in a small pan, add the chocolate and remove from the heat. Leave for a few mins, then stir until melted and combined. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool completely - the icing will set to a spreadable consistency within about 30 mins. Once cooled and thickened, spread the icing on the cupcakes, decorate with a drizzle of red icing or some red glitter and top with half a glacé cherry. These cakes will keep for a few days in a cake tin.

SOUTHERN RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake or muffin pans with 48 mini cupcake liners or line regular-size cupcake or muffin pans with 24 regular cupcake liners.
• In mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, stir together the eggs and oil. In a mixing cup, mix together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract and lightly whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. We are trying to achieve a dark brown, red cupcake color, so add more cocoa powder, if the red is not deep enough. Then add the batter to the mini cupcake liners until they are 3/4-full and bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until done. Alternately, fill the regular-size cupcake liners and bake 22 minutes, or until done. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
• Combine the sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and blend for 2 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove compote from heat and cool completely. Measure out 1 cup for the cupcake batter. Reserve remaining compote, about 6 tablespoons, for the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line or grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour in 1/2 of the sour cream and cooled coffee; mix until just combined.
• Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with sour cream and coffee, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1 cup cherry compote. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cherry buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of cherry compote and beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Repeat twice more with remaining cherry compote, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread or pipe frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Sieve the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of fine salt into a medium bowl and mix to combine.
• Using a stand mixer or an electric hand whisk, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, vanilla, buttermilk, oil and vinegar until combined. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dried. Once combined, mix in the red food colouring until you have a deep red mix - the colour may vary depending on what brand you use.
• Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 15 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Beat together the butter and icing sugar using an electric whisk or by hand until pale and fluffy, about 3 mins, then beat in the cream cheese for a further 1-2 mins until well combined.
• Once the cakes are cool, use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to cover the cakes with the cream cheese icing, or dollop the icing on top using a spoon.

RED VELVET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes; beat in brown sugar and white sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat egg, milk, and vanilla extract into butter mixture; beat in food coloring until uniformly colored.
• Stir flour mixture into butter mixture gradually with electric mixer on low speed until combined; stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll dough into 2-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with a few additional chocolate chips; allow to cool completely.