I changed jobs recently, and have been wanting to impress my new colleagues with yummy treats. I tried last weekend, and had a disaster with trying to make choc-chip cupcakes with dark chocolate ganache (I'm a little embarrassed to even mention these- the chocolate chips sank to the bottom!).. So the pressure has been mounting.
I caught a lucky break with my old bosses daughter's choir recital- she wanted some cupcakes to celebrate! The request was clear: red velvet cupcakes with white chocolate icing (a previous hit) but, they must be filled with bar one spread! This was so decadent, so completely overboard, that I had to try it.
The cupcakes are adapted from a Red Velvet Cake recipe in The Ultimate Book of Baking by Heilie Pienaar (my favourite, never-fail book) published by Human & Russeau - it makes 24 cupcakes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
125 g butter
210 g castor sugar
2 extra large eggs
45 ml cocoa
40 ml red food colouring
280 g cake flour
2 ml salt
300 ml buttermilk
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
15 ml vinegar
5 ml vanilla essence
1) Preheat over to 180 C. And prepare two muffin tins.
2) Cream the butter and sugar.
3) Add the eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly after every addition.
4) Mix the red food colouring with the cocoa, and add to the mixture, beat well.
5) In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt.
6) Add to the mixture, alternating spoonfuls with the buttermilk.
7) Mix the soda with the vinegar (I use a mug here, as they react a bubble furiously), and add to the mixture.
8) Add the vanilla essence. Beat well!
9) Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, you might need to leave one empty.
10) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If you're baking these as a cake, an 8 inch cake should take about 25 minutes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
125 g butter
210 g castor sugar
2 extra large eggs
45 ml cocoa
40 ml red food colouring
280 g cake flour
2 ml salt
300 ml buttermilk
5 ml bicarbonate of soda
15 ml vinegar
5 ml vanilla essence
1) Preheat over to 180 C. And prepare two muffin tins.
2) Cream the butter and sugar.
3) Add the eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly after every addition.
4) Mix the red food colouring with the cocoa, and add to the mixture, beat well.
5) In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt.
6) Add to the mixture, alternating spoonfuls with the buttermilk.
7) Mix the soda with the vinegar (I use a mug here, as they react a bubble furiously), and add to the mixture.
8) Add the vanilla essence. Beat well!
9) Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, you might need to leave one empty.
10) Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. If you're baking these as a cake, an 8 inch cake should take about 25 minutes.
The bar one spread is store-bought (Kadies on Kingfisher in Douglasdale), but I have made it before by simply cutting up bar-ones, and melting them slowly in a pot with some cream (YUMMY).
Finally, the white chocolate icing came from here:
1 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
60 g butter (I use Wooden Spoon because it's white)
170 g white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups icing sugar
1) Beat cream cheese and butter together.
2) Add white chocolate and vanilla and beat well.
3) Add icing sugar little by little.
This icing is AMAZING. It's sweet but slightly sour and creamy and smooth.. Just wonderful.
1 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
60 g butter (I use Wooden Spoon because it's white)
170 g white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups icing sugar
1) Beat cream cheese and butter together.
2) Add white chocolate and vanilla and beat well.
3) Add icing sugar little by little.
This icing is AMAZING. It's sweet but slightly sour and creamy and smooth.. Just wonderful.
The kids loved it, the office loved it and I had a few left for happy neighbors and Ralph, the man who lets me use his kitchen, and feeds me. All in all a happy ending..
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