Name: Red velvet cupcakes with chocolate buttercream
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: Red velvet cupcakes; 1 cup (150g) plain flour; 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour; 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 1¼ cup (275g) caster sugar; 1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk; 1 tablespoon red food colouring; 2 eggs, beaten lightly; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ⅔ cup (160ml) vegetable oil; chocolate sprinkles and red sugar pearls, to decorate; Chocolate buttercream; 200 g dark chocolate, chopped finely; 250 g butter, softened; 500 g icing sugar mixture, sifted; ⅓ cup (80ml) milk (at room temperature); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients

Red velvet cupcakes

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1¼ cup (275g) caster sugar

1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon red food colouring

2 eggs, beaten lightly

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

⅔ cup (160ml) vegetable oil

chocolate sprinkles and red sugar pearls, to decorate

Chocolate buttercream

200 g dark chocolate, chopped finely

250 g butter, softened

500 g icing sugar mixture, sifted

⅓ cup (80ml) milk (at room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Line 2 x 12 hole muffin trays (1/3 cup/80ml) capacity with 22 paper cases.

2.Sift flours, soda and cocoa powder into a large bowl, add sugar; stir to combine.

3.Combine the buttermilk and food colouring in a small jug.

4.Whisk in eggs, vanilla and oil into flour mixture, then buttermilk mixture. Whisk until smooth and combined.

5.Spoon ¼ cup (60ml) of mixture into paper cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Chocolate buttercream

6.Place chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl; microwave on medium (50%) power for 40-60 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth; cool. Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and as white as possible. Beat in the icing sugar mixture and milk. On low speed beat in vanilla extract and melted chocolate.

7.Top cold cakes with Chocolate Buttercream and decorate with chocolate sprinkles and sugar pearls.

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

Instagram Facebook

Styling by Michele Cranston