Winter Warmers: Nigella Lawson’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I only eat the icing off cupcakes. I generally don’t like the consistency or taste of a cupcake but red velvet cupcakes are the exception and Nigella Lawson’s recipe is my favourite.

You can cook them in the traditional way or try something fun like red velvet cupcakes in vintage jars.

READ:ย 5 SHORTCUTS TO UPDATING YOUR HOUSE FOR SUMMER!

Cupcake Mix:

  • 250g plain flour
  • 2 x 15ml tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 100g soft unsalted butter
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 x heaped 15ml tbsp Christmas-red paste food colouring
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 175ml buttermilk
  • 1 tsp cider vinegar or other vinegar
  • 2 x 12-bun muffin tins

For the icing:

  • 500g icing sugar
  • 250g soft unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
Method:

 

Step 1.ย Preheat the oven to 170C and line the muffin tins with paper cases. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating well, and when you have a soft, pale mixture mix in the food colouring and the vanilla.

 

Step 2.ย Into this vividly coloured mixture, still beating, add 1 spoonful of the dried ingredients, then 1 egg, followed by some more dried ingredients, then the other egg, followed by the rest of the dried ingredients.

 

Step 3.ย Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this extraordinary batter between the 24 cases.

 

Step 4.ย Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, by which time the redcurrant-sorbet-coloured batter will have morphed into a more sombre, but still juicily tinted, sponge.

 

Step 5.ย Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting until absolutely cold

 

For the frosting:

 

Step 1.ย Put the icing sugar into a processor and whiz to remove lumps. Add the butter and process. Of course you can do this all by hand by sifting the icing sugar and beating the butter by hand.

 

Step 2.ย Pour in the lemon juice and process again to make a smooth icing.

 

Step 3. Ice each cupcake and decorate!

 

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51 Comments

  • Reply John Doe Friday 28th October, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    Yummy! I have a question though, can I make it with other flavors.

  • judi1
    Reply judi1 Saturday 31st May, 2014 at 6:55 pm

    Look yummy!!!

  • Reply angelwings Tuesday 7th January, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    I usually add beetroot to my red velvet cup cakes instead of using red colouring.

  • Reply yslyenom Sunday 20th January, 2013 at 4:24 pm

    Craving for a cupcake right now…

  • Reply SuperStylish Tuesday 18th December, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    Thankyou for sharing this! I would love to make these

  • Reply xlilda Wednesday 18th July, 2012 at 12:56 am

    Gorgeous. Mmm yummy!

  • Reply bardie Friday 29th June, 2012 at 8:17 am

    YUMMY

  • Reply dina Wednesday 27th June, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    So cute!

  • Reply Nimma Sunday 24th June, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    OMG YUM!!

  • Reply toniachef Sunday 24th June, 2012 at 12:01 am

    Nice recipe, not long done a wedding with red velvet cupcakes, am still trying to get the red from my kitchen!!

  • Reply mandachic Thursday 21st June, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    Now thats what I call comfort food

  • Reply sarahleeshanshan Tuesday 19th June, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    YUMM!

  • Reply Jenna Sunday 17th June, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    yummo

  • Reply rzyanina Sunday 17th June, 2012 at 7:53 am

    These look amazing

  • Reply windbee Sunday 17th June, 2012 at 2:13 am

    looks delicious

  • MissSharlene
    Reply MissSharlene Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    Love baking in winter!!!

  • hausoftina
    Reply hausoftina Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    This looks delicious! I am definitely going to try this out some time!

  • Reply teekendall Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 5:45 pm

    these look amazing.

  • Reply laurenchock Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 1:44 am

    uh…YUM!

  • Reply adnrew Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 1:13 am

    yum

  • Viggy
    Reply Viggy Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 12:35 am

    Oh… why must you tempt me so!

  • Reply Zerotolove Saturday 16th June, 2012 at 12:29 am

    they look amazing!

  • Reply punkemohardcore Friday 15th June, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    Om nom nom.

  • Reply fifi73 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    Oh my goodness…… *Drools*

  • Reply tanoshiiki Friday 15th June, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Mmm, these look delicious!

  • Reply cindyhu_1234 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    THANKYOU SO MUCH!!!!

  • Reply LenoreP Friday 15th June, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    Yummo….I shall be trying my hand at those!!

  • Reply paperplane__x Friday 15th June, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    YUMMYYY

  • Reply daysofourlives123 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    So cute and yummy, but a little too high in fat for my liking ๐Ÿ˜›

  • Reply AmberB Friday 15th June, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    I’ve been wanting to try baking these cupcakes for a while now ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply sallync Friday 15th June, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    I’d have to leave out the red colouring but they look amazing…and I normally only eat the icing as well, always disappointed if someone gives me a piece of wedding cake or birthday cake with a teeny tiny bit of icing on top, I want the side piece!!!

  • xbecccc
    Reply xbecccc Friday 15th June, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    they’re so cute! delicious too

  • Reply BellaB Friday 15th June, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    I always wondered why they were red, and now I know.

  • Reply atemilyy Friday 15th June, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    Thanks for the recipe! Also love red velvet with cream cheese frosting as well, too delish!

  • Reply greengal Friday 15th June, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    thx for the recipe.cant wait to try. ๐Ÿ˜€

  • violetflower61230
    Reply violetflower61230 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    YAYYYYYYY! I want to try this!

  • Reply Audrey1989 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    Oh my gooooooood!!!

  • Reply maggielyly Friday 15th June, 2012 at 2:16 pm

    so cute!!

  • Reply ragdollbaby Friday 15th June, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    Love red velvet cupcakes, but for mine I top them with cream cheese frosting ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply srslyalex Friday 15th June, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    These look amazing! I like using cream cheese for the icing ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply sappheire Friday 15th June, 2012 at 1:24 pm

    I baked these yesterday and now over half are already gone so delicious

  • Reply Whatthe Friday 15th June, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    This woman does no wrong in the kitchen.

  • CandyFairy
    Reply CandyFairy Friday 15th June, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    Yum! I’m going to save this recipe! I really like the look of those in the jars as well. So pretty! ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Reply Tashie Friday 15th June, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    my favourite!!

  • Reply Crystal Friday 15th June, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    DELISH

  • Reply cindyfeng92 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    Yummm definitely bookmarked for some Winter baking!

  • Reply Raquel24 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 11:56 am

    yummy!

  • Reply jessicawheelock Friday 15th June, 2012 at 11:52 am

    YUM!

  • Reply fengari Friday 15th June, 2012 at 10:59 am

    They look adorable!

  • Reply Cinthia Friday 15th June, 2012 at 10:31 am

    omgg yumm!!

  • Reply balibabe7 Friday 15th June, 2012 at 10:20 am

    YUM YUM YUM! Can’t wait to try these ๐Ÿ™‚

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