Red White And Blue Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting Food

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 and line a 12-cup cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Line a standard 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Sift Dry ingredients together into a bowl.
• Cream butter: Put the butter in a separate bowl and beat on speed 2 for 1 minute with an electric mixer or stand mixer (paddle attachment).
• Cream sugar: Add sugar then beat for a further 2 minutes, same speed, until the butter is very pale yellow, almost white.
• Beat in eggs: Add the eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds on speed 1 after each addition.
• Add remaining Wet ingredients: Add oil, buttermilk, vanilla and red food colouring then beat on Speed 1 until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Beat in flour: Sprinkle the Dry ingredients across the surface and mix on Speed 1 for just 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl, then mix again for 10 seconds. The batter should now be smooth - few small lumps is ok. Do not keep beating - overworks batter = cupcakes not as soft!
• Fill pan: Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake liners - it should fill 3/4 of the way, but it depends on the size of the cupcake liners you use.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the middle cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool: Immediately remove cupcakes onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
• Cream butter: Place butter in a bowl and beat for 1 minute until it's smooth and starts to become paler in colour - speed 6 on stand mixer, speed 9 for electric beater.
• Cream cream cheese: Add cream cheese then beat for a further 1 minute on the same speed until smooth.
• Add icing sugar: Add icing sugar in 4 batches, beating in between until incorporated, starting on speed 1 so you don't get a dust storm in your face!
• Beat until fluffy: Add vanilla and salt, then beat for 2 minutes until fluffy - speed 6 with stand mixer, speed 9 with electric beater. It should be creamy but still hold its shape in a peak (see video). If it's too sloppy, place in fridge for 30 minutes, then beat again.
• Pipe: Transfer into piping bag with desired piping tip. Pipe onto cupcakes - makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes as pictured in post.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 14 cupcakes, so you will have 2 cupcakes to bake in a 2nd batch.
• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 egg whites on high speed in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. See photo at the bottom of this post for a visual. Set aside.
• Sift the flour and cornstarch together to make sure it is evenly combined. Whisk this, along with baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat on high for 2 minutes. The butter may look "piece-y" and not completely combine with the oil. This is normal and ok.
• Add 2 egg yolks and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vinegar and the food coloring- until you reach your desired color. I use 2 Tablespoons. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. Fold whipped egg whites into cupcake batter with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be silky and slightly thick. (If there are still pieces of butter - and there were in 1 test batch for me - again, this is ok. They will melt inside as the cupcakes bake. Making them even more buttery.)
• Spoon batter into cupcake liners filling 1/2 - 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-21 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't overbake; your cupcakes will dry out. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cream cheese frosting. Frost cooled cupcakes immediately before serving. I used a Wilton #12 tip; I don't recommend a star tip. This frosting is a little too thin.

RED-WHITE-AND-BLUE RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 standard 12-cup cupcake tins with liners.
• For the cupcakes: Add the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine.
• In a large bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Raise the mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl then mix on low for 1 minute.
• Use a 1/4-cup scoop to fill each cupcake liner two-thirds of the way full. (If any batter is leftover, bake in a second batch.) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store unfrosted cupcakes covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the cream cheese and mix on low to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add the vanilla, salt and half the confectioners' sugar and beat on low until you no longer see any sugar. Add the remaining sugar and blend on low to combine. Scrape the bowl and paddle well. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and lightened, about 1 minute. Test the consistency of the frosting by lifting a small portion out of the bowl with a rubber spatula: if it holds its shape and doesn't drip off the spatula, it is ready. If it is loose and doesn't hold its shape, place the frosting in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer half of the frosting to a small bowl and use gel food coloring to tint blue. Transfer half of the remaining frosting to a separate small bowl and use gel food coloring to tint red. Place the blue, red and white frostings in separate piping bags fitted with large, open star tips. Decorate half of the cupcakes with the blue frosting and sprinkle with the white star sprinkles if using. Decorate the remaining cupcakes with three layers of alternating red and white stripes.
• Enjoy the frosting on cupcakes the day that they are frosted or store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.