Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes!!
Jan. 2nd, 2012 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
outstretched posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
likealarkRed Velvet Cake + Creamy Vanilla Frosting
From "The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook"
Notes:
Magnolia Bakery is my favorite bakery in the whole world. Why? Three words: red velvet cupcakes.
As the legend goes, these guys invented red velvet cupcakes. They're often imitated, but never duplicated: perfect frosting, perfect cake consistency, as;dlfjka;elrkjasre it's heaven. There are times I want to drive down to NYC just to get these cupcakes. They're kind of like Aya's muffins in terms of sheer addictiveness. (Although Aya wins because I'd willingly go across the whole country for those, but they have the unfair bonus of seeing Aya, too, so.)
Anyway, THE COOKBOOK HAS THEIR RED VELVET CUPCAKE RECIPE. I copied it down in the bookstore and then ran home and made it. I've made it twice now, and yes, these cupcakes tend to make people moan involuntarily when they eat them. They're sumptuous. Excellent gifts and good for other classy things.
This recipe is very involved, which makes sense since it's such a high-class bakery. There's a lot of stuff going on in a lot of different bowls, and an assistant + an electric mixer is heavily recommended, if not required. It says something that I bust my mixer out to make this recipe; I make everything by hand, even meringue, but this really is quite complicated.
Okay, enough talking, on with the recipe!
Ingredients List:
This is the recipe to make red velvet *cake,* but there's nothing stopping you from using a muffin tin, so. This recipe makes about 25 cupcakes or one 3-layer 9-inch round cake.
Cake
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted, softened butter
2 1/4 cups sugar (Note: using 2 cups is fine)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring (if gel coloring or concentrated: 1 tbsp)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (but adding more cocoa than this doesn't hurt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (COFFEE VARIATION: 1 CUP)
1/2 cup coffee (FOR COFFEE VARIATION)
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Muffin tins
Baking spatula
Four bowls—3 small, 1 large
Wine Variation:
3-1/2 tbsp cocoa instead of 3 tbsp
3/4 pinot noir
1 cup ricotta cheese instead of 1 cup butter
COOKING TIME CHANGES but I can't remember what it changes to. Try the cooking time recommended below to start, then keep cooking as necessary. If you find out, tell me ;_;
Cayenne Pepper Variation:
Not yet tested. I'll tell you what I find when I find it!
Frosting: "This silky smooth frosting is made by beating together softened butter and sugar with a thick, saucelike base. Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly."
(This frosting recipe is just as delicious, incredibly similar, and much less picky.)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted, softened butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Note: The frosting recipe is at the bottom of the page, after the red velvet cake recipe.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper. (But we're making cupcakes, lol)
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add buttermilk and the coffee to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, turning the pans once halfway through, until the toothpick test comes out clean. While they're baking, prepare the frosting (see below). Then pull them out and allow them to rest for a while, maybe 10 minutes or so. When the frosting is done cooling, top the cupcakes with it.
THEN EAT THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER, I cannot tell you how awesome this recipe is ahhhhh.
Frosting Directions:
In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and again beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
Add the cooled milk mixture and continue to beat on medium high for 5 minutes—until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes exactly, no less and no more! Use immediately.
CUPCAKES. FUCK YEAH.
EASY FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)
Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.
In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.
Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange — it has flour in it — but it’s sublime. Try it, you’ll see. You’ll love it so much you won’t go back.
Oct 2015 update: TIPS! Use only real butter!! (My personal preference is the organic salted butter from Costco as to me it has a more rich and buttery taste.) Do not use margarine, tub spreads, Country Crock, etc as the frosting is likely to separate. Some people like to use superfine sugar instead of regular granulated sugar, or to run the granulated sugar through a food processor first to make their own superfine sugar. If you taste flour or paste when it’s done, I suspect the flour/milk mixture didn’t cook long enough, don’t be in a hurry to bring the milk/flour to the thickened state, let it have time to cook that flour taste out as it thickens. Did you get lumps? whisk whisk whisk as it cooks! One person recommended using a hand mixer as it cooks to avoid lumps, Some people use 3 T of flour instead of 5. I’ve made it with soy milk, non-fat milk and all the way through to half-n-half and it’s turned out great for me using any of those. I’ve put it in piping bags and decorated with it, I’ve left it on the counter and I’ve also refrigerated it. I’m not a professional baker and while I’ve never had this recipe fail, I highly recommend reading the comments, there are great tips and helpful comments! Some have recommendations for adding cocoa powder, cherry, fresh strawberries, using coconut oil, etc. One person used lavender and earl grey tea in it (I recommended she post that recipe!) Some people have put the sugar in with the milk/flour mixture instead of creaming it with the butter. (I’ve tried that and personally wasn’t a fan as it completely changed the flavor, and texture, of the frosting in the end.) Also, while I like this best on chocolate cake, you can use it on any flavor of cake. In fact, it’s the original, very old, frosting for Red Velvet Cake. Yep, that’s right! Cream cheese frosting is not the original frosting for Red Velvet :) Happy baking! Have fun, and enjoy!! ~MissyDew
From "The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook"
Notes:
Magnolia Bakery is my favorite bakery in the whole world. Why? Three words: red velvet cupcakes.
As the legend goes, these guys invented red velvet cupcakes. They're often imitated, but never duplicated: perfect frosting, perfect cake consistency, as;dlfjka;elrkjasre it's heaven. There are times I want to drive down to NYC just to get these cupcakes. They're kind of like Aya's muffins in terms of sheer addictiveness. (Although Aya wins because I'd willingly go across the whole country for those, but they have the unfair bonus of seeing Aya, too, so.)
Anyway, THE COOKBOOK HAS THEIR RED VELVET CUPCAKE RECIPE. I copied it down in the bookstore and then ran home and made it. I've made it twice now, and yes, these cupcakes tend to make people moan involuntarily when they eat them. They're sumptuous. Excellent gifts and good for other classy things.
This recipe is very involved, which makes sense since it's such a high-class bakery. There's a lot of stuff going on in a lot of different bowls, and an assistant + an electric mixer is heavily recommended, if not required. It says something that I bust my mixer out to make this recipe; I make everything by hand, even meringue, but this really is quite complicated.
Okay, enough talking, on with the recipe!
Ingredients List:
This is the recipe to make red velvet *cake,* but there's nothing stopping you from using a muffin tin, so. This recipe makes about 25 cupcakes or one 3-layer 9-inch round cake.
Cake
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted, softened butter
2 1/4 cups sugar (Note: using 2 cups is fine)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring (if gel coloring or concentrated: 1 tbsp)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (but adding more cocoa than this doesn't hurt)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (COFFEE VARIATION: 1 CUP)
1/2 cup coffee (FOR COFFEE VARIATION)
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Muffin tins
Baking spatula
Four bowls—3 small, 1 large
Wine Variation:
3-1/2 tbsp cocoa instead of 3 tbsp
3/4 pinot noir
1 cup ricotta cheese instead of 1 cup butter
COOKING TIME CHANGES but I can't remember what it changes to. Try the cooking time recommended below to start, then keep cooking as necessary. If you find out, tell me ;_;
Cayenne Pepper Variation:
Not yet tested. I'll tell you what I find when I find it!
Frosting: "This silky smooth frosting is made by beating together softened butter and sugar with a thick, saucelike base. Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly."
(This frosting recipe is just as delicious, incredibly similar, and much less picky.)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted, softened butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Note: The frosting recipe is at the bottom of the page, after the red velvet cake recipe.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add buttermilk and the coffee to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
THEN EAT THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER, I cannot tell you how awesome this recipe is ahhhhh.
Frosting Directions:
In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and again beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
Add the cooled milk mixture and continue to beat on medium high for 5 minutes—until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes exactly, no less and no more! Use immediately.
CUPCAKES. FUCK YEAH.
EASY FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:
5 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)
Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.
In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.
Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange — it has flour in it — but it’s sublime. Try it, you’ll see. You’ll love it so much you won’t go back.
Oct 2015 update: TIPS! Use only real butter!! (My personal preference is the organic salted butter from Costco as to me it has a more rich and buttery taste.) Do not use margarine, tub spreads, Country Crock, etc as the frosting is likely to separate. Some people like to use superfine sugar instead of regular granulated sugar, or to run the granulated sugar through a food processor first to make their own superfine sugar. If you taste flour or paste when it’s done, I suspect the flour/milk mixture didn’t cook long enough, don’t be in a hurry to bring the milk/flour to the thickened state, let it have time to cook that flour taste out as it thickens. Did you get lumps? whisk whisk whisk as it cooks! One person recommended using a hand mixer as it cooks to avoid lumps, Some people use 3 T of flour instead of 5. I’ve made it with soy milk, non-fat milk and all the way through to half-n-half and it’s turned out great for me using any of those. I’ve put it in piping bags and decorated with it, I’ve left it on the counter and I’ve also refrigerated it. I’m not a professional baker and while I’ve never had this recipe fail, I highly recommend reading the comments, there are great tips and helpful comments! Some have recommendations for adding cocoa powder, cherry, fresh strawberries, using coconut oil, etc. One person used lavender and earl grey tea in it (I recommended she post that recipe!) Some people have put the sugar in with the milk/flour mixture instead of creaming it with the butter. (I’ve tried that and personally wasn’t a fan as it completely changed the flavor, and texture, of the frosting in the end.) Also, while I like this best on chocolate cake, you can use it on any flavor of cake. In fact, it’s the original, very old, frosting for Red Velvet Cake. Yep, that’s right! Cream cheese frosting is not the original frosting for Red Velvet :) Happy baking! Have fun, and enjoy!! ~MissyDew
