Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes
Equipment
- hand mixer
- cupcake tin
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter unsalted and softened, 57g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour sifted if lumpy, 90g
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup dutch process cocoa sifted if lumpy, 25g
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk or kefir ¼ cup plus ⅛ cup, 170g
- Red gel food coloring
For the buttercream:
- ¾ cup butter unsalted and softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 vanilla bean scraped
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a cupcake tin with 8-9 muffin liners (8 will be high, 9 will be standard).
- Beat together the butter vanilla, salt and sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer for at least 5 minutes. The mixture should be very light and creamy. Add the egg and beat for another minute or two, until it’s well combined.
- Add the baking soda, flour and cocoa on top. Then, with the mixer on medium, slowly pour in the buttermilk and squeeze in the food coloring. Beat until you have an airy smooth batter but don’t overbeat (a minute at most).
- Divide the batter between cupcake liners (⅔ of the way) and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed. Cool in the tin for a minute or two then remove the cupcakes and let them cool fully at room temperature. If you are making them days ahead of time, put them in an airtight container in the freezer.
Make the buttercream:
- In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds, salt and butter on low. Use the back of a rubber spatula to press down and smooth out the lumps of cream cheese then beat again. Repeat if necessary. Once there are no lumps, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the sour cream and stir until the buttercream is smooth. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.