Stacked my red velvet cupcakes like it’s a three layer cake…
….Triple tower for triple the fun on my Sunday.
Dreading the Mondays…but to make the most of my Sunday afternoon, I decided to make a set of red velvet cupcakes drizzle it with chocolate and top it with some fancy looking buttercream (but not hard to make!).
Ingredients:
For Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes one dozen):
- 1 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Valrhona cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk plus 1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar to make buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (warmer than room temperature)
- 1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring
For Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/3 cup chopped chocolate chips
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
For Red Velvet Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- In standing mixer bowl with paddle attachment, mix together the avocado oil and sugar until well combined. Add egg into mixture and allow it to mix for a minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, red food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.
- Pour half of the wet ingredients into standing mixer mixture and then pour half of the dry ingredients into mixture. Add in balance of wet ingredients and dry ingredients and mix until just combined (don’t overmix!).
- Use ice cream scoop to divide the batter and fill each muffin tin about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Allow the cupcake the cool at least 5 minutes before pulling the cupcakes out of the pans.
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream:
- With paddle attachment on standing mixer, combine unsalted butter and confectioner’s sugar on low speed (KitchenAid mixer speed 2) for approximately two minutes.
- Add pure vanilla extract and continue to mix for another two minutes.
- Add heavy whipping cream and pinch of salt and increase mixer speed to medium-high (KitchenAid mixer speed 6) for another two minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrap down the sides of the bowl and mix on high (KitchenAid speed 8) for a few seconds.
- Divide the buttercream in half and place one half in a bowl and set on side.
- Leave the other half in the mixer and add the red food coloring. The suggested is 1 teaspoon, but add more or less depending on preference.
- Ready to be used immediately or can be stored in air tight container at room temperature for up to three days (The buttercream can be stored in refrigerator, but will take time to reach room temperature before it can be used).
- To pipe half red and half vanilla combination, set up pipping bag with closed star tip and set the pipping bag in a tall glass. Open the pipping bag so it is set and as wide as it can be. I prefer to use a frosting spatula to place it in the middle of the pipping bag to divide the sides. If you don’t have a frosting spatula, a regular spatula would work as well. Use a small spatula to scoop the frosting into the pipping bag. Start with one color on one side and then the other color for the other side. Slowly pull out the center spatula and you’re ready to start pipping your cupcakes!
- To create a rose design, start pipping from the center of the cupcake and swirl your way around outwards to the edge.
For Chocolate Ganache:
- Place the chopped chocolate chips in a medium heat proof bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, on medium heat, heat the heavy cream until it is just boiling.
- Remove the heavy cream from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate chips.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes and then use a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula to stir.
- Once thoroughly combined, stir in the sea salt.
- Once the mixture as cooled, it can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for a few days.
*Red Velvet recipe adapted from The Little Epicurean
