Red velvet cupcakes with cheesecake icing

Red velvet cupcakes

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 120g unsalted butter, softened
• 400g caster sugar
• 240g neutral oil - canola, grapeseed or vegetable
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (or more as needed) red liquid food colouring
• 250ml buttermilk
  
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (or 160C fan forced)
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add in the cocoa, vanilla, salt and bicarbonate of soda and give this a good mix to make sure all of those ingredients and well incorporated.
3. Add in the oil and vinegar and mix through before adding in the flour. Give this a good mix on slow speed to not overwork the gluten in the flour. Add the buttermilk and give it one last mix, on slow, to incorporate.
4. Using an icecream scoop, scoop the batter into your muffin tins lined with cupcake liners. They should be ½ - ¾ of the way full.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are springy to the touch.
6. Allow to cool completely before topping with the cheesecake icing.
   
   

Cheesecake icing

• 500g cream cheese (2 blocks)
• 100g icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
• 300g thickened cream
  

• Zest of 2 lemons
  
  

Method

1. In your stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and icing sugar. Using your paddle attachment, mix this together until the cream cheese is completely smooth. If you need to, you can add more sugar to your tastes.
2. Add in the vanilla bean paste (and zest if using) and the cream and beat until thickened to a piping consistency.
3. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and using a teaspoon or offset spatula, create the iconic magnolia swirl in the icing.