red velvet cupcakes

Recipe as promised yesterday....

Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes approx 24)

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

300g sugar
125g butter
2 eggs
250g cake flour or plain flour
2 T dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 t bicarb soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 t white vinegar
red food colouring (enough to colour the batter bright red. The amount depends on what kind you're using. I used about 1 teaspoon of Wilton's "Christmas red" concentrated paste)

Preheat oven to 175 C. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs singly, beating until each is incorporated. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla. Mix in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the wet, repeat, then finish with dry. Stir in red food colouring as above. Scoop into paper-lined cupcake tins and bake for about 20 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 5 mins in tins before turning out.

These are yummy topped with cream cheese frosting :

250g Philly cream cheese (I read it should be used straight from the fridge - creamier result??)
70g butter at room temp.
1 t pure vanilla extract

Cream together. When smooth gradually add 21/2 cups pure icing sugar.