It’s hard to believe that 2 years have gone by since the time I started this blog. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been blogging forever and other times I feel like a newbie. Irrespective, I’ve had an awesome time here; learning new things and meeting new people has been very enriching (at the risk of sounding overtly formal).
Just to track progress, some changes that I’ve noticed…
- Starting from a blue Thisaway theme (should have captured a screenshot, for keepsake) theme to this customised blog design, I love tweaking the blog layout.
- My cookbook collection that has grown from 2-3 books to 50 odd (and still counting).
- I find myself moving away from cooking and falling more and more in love with baking with each passing post.
- Better photographs!
- And pretty much everything from my 1st blog anniversary post still stands.
Whether you’ve read the blog since the time I started, or hopped on this delicious journey a few months ago, or have just been around for the last 30 seconds – thank you! Thank you for reading. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for your e-mails. Thank you for your tweets. It really means the world to me.
The cupcakes are just wonderful – red (of course!) and soft and moist. And the cream cheese icing is to die for! I couldn’t stop licking it as I waited for the cupcakes to cool. I was reminded of the first time I tried a very Ameircan red velvet cupcake at Magnolia bakery. I’m sure they originated in some fairytale. The recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, so I think I can’t stop extolling the recipe right about now.
Adapted from: The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Yield: 12 cupcakes. Double the recipe for 2 9 inch layer cakes.
Reference: There is a really helpful red velvet cupcake comparison on The Way The Cookie Crumbles. Also, please make sure you either use the cup measurement or the metric measurement. Don’t swing in between! Like most red velvet cucpakes, this recipe calls for vinegar, but I didn’t use it. Instead, i doubled the amount of baking soda required.
4 Tablespoons / 60g. butter, at room temperature
¾ cup / 150g. sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 / 10g. Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp / 20ml. red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup / 120ml. buttermilk or well beaten yoghurt
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you’re using unsalted butter)
1 tsp teaspoon baking soda
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
- In another bowl, beat butter and the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed.
- Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).
- Turn the mixer up to slow speed, add a third of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk, a third of the flour, half the buttermilk, and ending with the rest of the flour. You can fold in the last third of flour by hand.
- Spoon mixture into cupcake mould line with paper or into silicone moulds.
- Bake for about 20-25 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before frosting the cakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
( double recipe to frost a 2 layer 9-inch cake)
Method:
- Beat the powdered sugar and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed. Mine kinda looked crumbly.
- Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Be careful not to over beat or the icing might get runny.
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i can't wait to look back at my first few posts in a year or so. congrats!!
yummy cupcakes!!
Congratulations and keep on blogging! Those cupcakes are just perfect for the occasion. So pretty!
Hi Shaheen
First of all belated birthday wishes to your blog
.
I was searching for red velvet cupcake recipes and landed here. Made it for Xmas party & it was great. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe.
You've a very beautiful blog
I will be a regular visitor here.
Cheers
Maria
hi can we make these without the egg ?
hey rushali, im sorry i don't have an eggless version of this recipe. or for that any other recipe on my blog. you must try out the dulce de leche and vanilla bean cake though! it's eggless.
i already tried making these and they turned out amazing
and i wanted to make them for a friend who doesnt eat eggs but none the less thanks!!! these were amazingg!
Hi! Ok so I've had the red velvet cupcakes in Magnolia and have been craving them ever since! Although the recipe seems great, I'm not much of a cook. Do you know where I could get them in Bombay? Or, better still, do you take orders?
Congratulations on your blogoversary Shaheen!! May there be many more…
Do we have any substitute for eggs?????
I am a Vegetarian.
Shaheen,
I liked ur cupcake moulds.You have used them elsewhere too.Do you get these in Mumbai? and if yes where?
I’m afraid you don’t get them here. I got them from the US. For more on what’s available here, please check Baking in Bombay.
Hi Shaheen! I have tried making Red Velvet Cake twice before, and once with the HUmmingbird Recipe that you used (except I did use the vinegar). The texture was really lovely, yet I couldnt help but be quite afraid of the amount of red food colouring used. The first time I used liquid red colour from the bottle and I swear I could taste the colouring (a chemical kind of taste) – For 2 9-inch layer cakes, thats significantly more than a whole bottle of colour! The second time I used wilton paste colour and it came out better. I’m curious to know which you used?
Hi Shaheen!
My sister wants Red Velvet cake for her 21st birthday and I told her I would make her some cupcakes; a grandiose idea since the first time I made Red Velvet, it was only “OK”. I like your suggestion about doubling the baking soda. Along those lines, I have a few of questions if you don’t mind?
1. I didn’t care for the buttermilk flavor, and I see you recommend “well-beaten yogurt” as a substitute. Before I saw that suggestion, I was thinking of using sour cream instead because I like the flavor it gives cakes. Do you think sour cream would work? If so, do you think a 1/2 cup would suffice?
2. I was thinking of making ‘purple’ velvet cupcakes, ever try that?
3. I was also thinking about filling some of the cupcakes with a lighter version of the cream cheese frosting. Any suggestions on that?
Thanks!
Christina
Hi Cristina!
SO sweet of you to make this for your sister’s 21st!
1. Sour cream should work just as well. I use yoghurt because I don’t have access to sour cream here.. 1/2 cup should be fine.
2. Hahah nooo never made purple cake, but that might be fun.
3. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese maybe (eyeball this depending on how light you’d like it to be) and then you can fill each cupcake with that using an apple corer to make a well in the centre of the cupcake.
Happy baking!
Hey Shaheen,
I want to make the red velvet cake. You mentioned that u doubled the baking soda in the recipe so does that mean you used 2 tsp of baking soda? If you could let me know soon as possible as I want to make it tomorrow…thanks…and your blog is awesome…
Annett
Hey Annett! 1 tsp is the doubled amount of baking soda.. so just stick to this recipe and you should be fine.
Happy baking!
Hi
Is there an indian cream cheese option that is easily available in India and affordable?
No, there isn’t.
These look amazing!!…so to die for!!….okie, so i’m a novice baker so i’m slightly nervous abt trying these out…could you pls tell me how u get the little red hearts??…do you use fondant??
Thanks Lynn! I don’t use fondant. The heart shaped sprinkles are from Wilton.
Hi! Shaheen
or tastes terribly bitter. So do let me know what works for you for this cake & for making red icing.
What type of food colouring did you use for this .. I have only Wilton gel colours — will that work? I have been wanting to make these but haven’t had success with red colouring for even icing — always turns out varied degrees of pink!
Hi Minal, I’ve used both Wilton gel, as well as Marson/Viola liquid colours for this with excellent results. The cocoa powder in this will ensure that you won’t get a pink colour. Always turns out red.
Hey Shaheen
Absolutely love it.
will be reallllly helpful. 
I have now become a regular follower of ur blog.
1) Tell me something – all purpose flour is regular plain flour right
2) Also do u have a good recipe for fondant – and a cake that i can decorate well.
Hi Maya
1. Regular flour = all purpose flour = maida.
2. Nothing for fondant on the blog yet.
Hey i made this…but for some reason i cud smell the soda once the cake was baked.. I did use one tsp as per the measurement..
is there a soda brand u use cos i buy them from the small shops that sell lose soda bi carb…its the same one rite???
That’s odd. I use regular bicarb.
Hey
Grt Blog..I am new in here. I am from south..I have been having problems with getting cream cheese.Where do you get it…I would surely love to try this out
Did you know that Red Velvet Cupcakes became red because of the ingredient: Dutch Processed cocoa. On contact with vinegar/buttermilk, this turns red. Thus the color.
WOW, so very interesting. I was actually thinking of studying the history of the red velvet cupcake for fun, and to understand how it’s come to where it has. This makes me want to go down that route asap.
Made this cupcakes just now and they turn out lovely. So soft, fluffy and moist. The only thing I’m not fond of is the mild bitter after taste but I think that is easily corrected by reducing the amount of colouring. Still a great recipe nonetheless =)
One question though, If I want to use vinegar, how much should I use?
Hi Shaheen,
I recenyly bouth silicone cupcake moulds frm abroad.Not yet used ’cause on the net I came across a lot of people who are not happy usin them. can u tell me if I need to oil them before use? do I keep them on tray directly? do the cakes come out well?
Hi Neeta, Sorry to keep you waiting! This slipped through the cracks. No, you don’t need to oil silicone baking moulds before baking.. they’re absolutely non stick. Yes, you can keep them directly on the tray. I prefer using silicone moulds for cupcakes. but not for large cakes/loaves. It doesn’t heat through very well.
Hey!
If I use this recipe for a cake versus cupcakes, do you suppose I could use the same for an 8″ layer cake?
Of course you can, just increase the baking time and keep checking on it.
Shaheen,
Could you pl answer my above query regarding silicone cupcake moulds?
Hey, you seem to have some really good ingredients. I’m not in Mumbai so I don’t think I can buy this stuff. I’ve checked in all the high-end supermarkets but they are not available. Can you please recommend a substitute for cream cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
PS. I love your recipes, I wish you had your classes in Hyderabad.
Hey was looking to make eggless cupcakes…could suggest how i coould go ahead with your recipe minus the eggs…thanks!
P.S would love to take a beginner class in baking if you hold them…could you please gimme details for the same
hi,
i am new to this site. ur red velvet cake is really month watering. can i use same recipe of baking cake.. i am a beginner .. hoping for your immediate reply.
thank u
Yes, you can!
Hi,
Loved ur Blog it is simple and the receipes are yummy… my cream frosting always flopped… am going to try this receipe for sure…rest assured ur are going to recieve lots of query from me. Since am from mumbai this blog is of big help.
HI! i love your blog and purple is my favourite colour so your blog is my bible from now on! listen i really need help with the cream cheese bit..i live in cal, and nowhere can i find this blasted ingredient. is there a substitute? i really want to make the red velvet cupcakes but i need the cream cheese for the frosting. is there anything else that you can use as frosting? im planning to make the chocolate tarts over the weekend
Sorry, the red velvet cupcake is all about the cream cheese icing.
Pls mail me all ur super n delicious recipies on my mail id.i would luv to try all ur recipies ,dey r very nice.
Shaheen,
Let me knw if we need to use 1 Tsp Baking Soda(For the same recipe above) if I want to use Vinegar? Do u tink Whip cream topping wld go along well? Pls helkp me decide..
1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp cider vinegar.
Cream cheese frosting only!
why did you leave out the vinager from the original cupcake recipe??? and does it matter if you do use the vinager??
Vinegar is important. Use 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp cider vinegar. It’s much better than doubling the baking soda.
Hello I wanted to know what brand of cream cheese frosting do you use and I can substitute hung curd if i dont get cream cheese frosting
Hello Shaheen,
Tried the red velvet cupckes with cream cheese frosting today and we loved them!
Thank you for sharing!
Cheers
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