Red velvet cupcakes

This is going to be my no-fail recipe for making the amazing cupcakes. I initially intended them sans frosting, but what is the fun in a red-velvet without the classic frosting. So here is the recipe for the beautifully festive red-velvet goodies.

The recipe makes 12 medium sized or 24 mini-cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (approx 140 grams) caster sugar

• 1 and 1/4th cups (approx 160 grams) plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 cup (approx 100 grams) butter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 tsp red food colour

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon Coco powder

• 1/2 cup chocolate roughly chopped or chocolate chips - optional

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180°c.

2. Put the flour, coco powder and baking powder and soda in a bowl and mix to combine

3. In a separate bowl mix together the buttermilk and red food colour

4. Beat butter and sugar till soft peaks are formed

5. Beat in one egg at a time

6. Beat in the dry mix and buttermilk in an alternate fashion starting and ending with dry ingredients

7. Add vanilla extract and toss in the chocolate chunks

8. Line 12 cupcake moulds with liners and fill the moulds upto 2/3rd full.

9. Bake the cakes for 20-21 mins

10. Let them cool and begin with the swirl rose icing

Frosting: Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 100 gm heavy whipping cream

• 2-3 tablespoons icing sugar

• One star tip icing nozzle and icing bags, few drops of red colouring

Method:

1. Whip cream till soft peaks form

2. Add in sugar and continue to beat till a pipeable consistency

3. Add few drops of vanilla extract

4. Let the icing set in refrigerator for about half an hour

5. Make a 2 tone icing by adding a few drops of red colour to one side of the piping bag