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: 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. 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. 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. Finally, beat in the buttermilk and vinegar and divide this extraordinary batter between the 24 cases.
Step 4. 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. Leave them to cool on a wire rack and do not ice with the frosting until absolutely cold
For the frosting:
Step 1. 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. Pour in the lemon juice and process again to make a smooth icing.
Step 3. Ice each cupcake and decorate!
Be sure to sign up to our newsletter and find us on Facebook and instagram!
51 Comments
Yummy! I have a question though, can I make it with other flavors.
Look yummy!!!
I usually add beetroot to my red velvet cup cakes instead of using red colouring.
Craving for a cupcake right now…
Thankyou for sharing this! I would love to make these
Gorgeous. Mmm yummy!
YUMMY
So cute!
OMG YUM!!
Nice recipe, not long done a wedding with red velvet cupcakes, am still trying to get the red from my kitchen!!
Now thats what I call comfort food
YUMM!
yummo
These look amazing
looks delicious
Love baking in winter!!!
This looks delicious! I am definitely going to try this out some time!
these look amazing.
uh…YUM!
yum
Oh… why must you tempt me so!
they look amazing!
Om nom nom.
Oh my goodness…… *Drools*
Mmm, these look delicious!
THANKYOU SO MUCH!!!!
Yummo….I shall be trying my hand at those!!
YUMMYYY
So cute and yummy, but a little too high in fat for my liking 😛
I’ve been wanting to try baking these cupcakes for a while now 🙂
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!!!
they’re so cute! delicious too
I always wondered why they were red, and now I know.
Thanks for the recipe! Also love red velvet with cream cheese frosting as well, too delish!
thx for the recipe.cant wait to try. 😀
YAYYYYYYY! I want to try this!
Oh my gooooooood!!!
so cute!!
Love red velvet cupcakes, but for mine I top them with cream cheese frosting 🙂
These look amazing! I like using cream cheese for the icing 🙂
I baked these yesterday and now over half are already gone so delicious
This woman does no wrong in the kitchen.
Yum! I’m going to save this recipe! I really like the look of those in the jars as well. So pretty! 🙂
my favourite!!
DELISH
Yummm definitely bookmarked for some Winter baking!
yummy!
YUM!
They look adorable!
omgg yumm!!
YUM YUM YUM! Can’t wait to try these 🙂