How Do I Make Red Velvet Cupcakes

When baked, light cocoa has a red tint to it.

When you have your first bite of a red velvet cupcake---or red velvet cake for that matter---you might be surprised that you are tasting chocolate. Despite the cupcake's deep red color, red velvet cupcakes are actually chocolate cupcakes---they get a red color when you use a light cocoa powder or tint them with red dye. These decadent chocolate treats are often served with a dollop of cream cheese icing to counter their sweet taste.

Things You'll Need

• Cupcake tray
• Paper liners or cooking spray
• Electric mixer
• 2 bowls
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 oz. red dye
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 oz. cold water
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• Spatula

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees Celsius and prepare your cupcake trays. If you are using paper wrappers, simply put one in each hole. If you want to make cupcakes without a wrapper, spray your tray with a generous quantity of non-stick cooking spray.

2. Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and cream them together until they reach a fluffy consistency.

3. Crack your eggs into the bowl and continue creaming the mixture on low until they are blended in.

4. Add the cocoa powder and food coloring to a separate bowl and stir them together until they make a paste. Then, slowly add the flour and salt, stirring thoroughly after each addition.

5. Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and water into the bowl one at a time and stir after each addition. Then, in a separate bowl add the vinegar and baking soda. Add the vinegar mixture to the cupcake batter, but instead of beating it, fold the mixture in with your spatula.

6. Pour the prepared batter into each cupcake tin, filling it about ¾ of the way to the top.

7. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until you can put a toothpick in the cupcake and it comes out clean. When they are baked, remove them from the trays and let them sit on a rack to cool before icing them.

References

• Best Cupcake Recipes; Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe; February 2009
• Epicurious; Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe; 2004

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish