Red Velvet Cupcakes

I really have been on a kick of trying as many recipes in the Cupcake Diaries book as I can. My goal is to make every kind of cupcake in that book at least once, maybe twice, some I have already made a second time. I even want to make the cupcakes in which the flavors don't appeal to me: such as, carrot cake, coconut cupcakes, lemon blossom, and cherry blossom. I just want to say I have made every cupcake they have to offer. I also love their recipes, they seem to have the perfect balance, or ratio rather, of ingredients.

This red velvet though...

Let me just start with what I believe defines, or makes a red velvet cupcake or cake a red velvet. Red velvet's are light, fluffy, and airy. They have this magnificent taste of cocoa/ or chocolate, but it is a light cocoa taste, not overpowering, and not a rich chocolate taste. What gives the red velvet that amazing light texture? A combination of buttermilk and a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Every red velvet I have ever made or seen a recipe for contains buttermilk, it makes the cake.

In the Cupcake diaries, the recipe for this cake calls for whole milk, not buttermilk, which was very weird to me... too weird to the point where I just said no I am not using whole milk, I refuse to make a red velvet cake without buttermilk, it just doesn't seem like a red velvet. I suppose this explains why, while in the store, trying their red velvet it tasted different to me, and the texture of their cake was more dense than your typical classic red velvet. Also red velvet's originally got their gorgeous color because people added beets to the cake, now days, most people use food coloring. Some people still add the beets to keep it as traditional as possible, but I have never tried it with beets, and I am using food coloring today. I used buttermilk in this recipe, and since I didn't follow it as direct and changed something about it, I am posting the recipe for yall today.

Another thing that does make their red velvet unique is, they use apple cider vinegar instead of regular white distilled. They say in the book that it makes for a sweeter cupcake, I am not too sure how much truth is in that, as I did use buttermilk, which buttermilk also brings on a unique taste, almost a bit more bitter, which maybe with the whole milk it would be a different taste, but I just love the texture buttermilk gives cakes.

Maybe I will try their recipe with the whole milk one day.. if I am brave enough.. if I do though, I don't think I'd be able to call it red velvet, I would probably just call it a light cocoa cake.

Here are some photos before we get into that recipe!

The Batter

Fresh out of the oven

A closer look

All pretty and iced

And that amazing fluffy and airy cake

INGREDIENTS

Yields 15-18 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon gel red food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with paper baking cups.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Lower speed and add eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, red food coloring, and vanilla. On low speed, slowly add this to the stand mixer bowl, mixing until well incorporated. In a small bowl, combine salt and buttermilk. On a low speed, alternate between adding a third of the flour, followed by a third of the buttermilk, and mix. Repeat and mix until incorporated, and stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. In a small bowl, quickly stir baking soda and apple cider vinegar together (it will fizz!) then pour this reaction into the batter. Mix until just incorporated.
3. Using a standard-size, spring-release ice cream scooper, scoop batter into the lined cupcake pans so each well is 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting: In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; beat cream cheese and butter on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract. On a low speed, slowly mix in confectioners' sugar until well combined. Then beat on a high speed for at least 2 minutes to ensure a light and fluffy frosting.
5. Transfer frosting into a plastic piping bag fitted with a round metal tip. Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before piping the frosting on each cupcake.

****NOTE**** I really think there should be more cocoa powder in this recipe, I love just a slight taste of cocoa, not too much, and even I feel as though this recipe was lacking in cocoa flavor. Although everyone that tried this cupcake loved it, I think people would have loved it even more if it had a stronger cocoa flavor, I would add 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder if I made this again.