Our guest food bloggers Tasted by Two share with us their next tasty treat recipe, a New York favourite - red velvet cupcakes. This one is guaranteed to impress at your next picnic!

Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes), by Tasted by Two

I discovered red velvet cupcakes on my first visit to New York and its iconic Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village. Red velvet was somewhat foreign to me at the time and the taste is tricky to describe – it’s not quite chocolate and tastier than vanilla. The cake was fluffy, sweet and beautifully rich. Needless to say I fell in love.

It was only after I came back home that the cravings started. I was lucky enough to find the recipe online and it tasted just like the real thing! Go on, give them a shot, I’m sure you’ll impress everyone you hand these to!

Ingredients

3.25 cups of plain flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2.5 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp red food coloring
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 tsp salt
1 .5 cups organic full cream milk
1.5 tsp cider vinegar
1.5 tsp baking soda

Method

Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and lightly flour 2 cupcake pans.

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, for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food colouring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the milk. Add 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 pans. Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean. It should take about 20 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing.

Cream cheese frosting

300g cream cheese (spreadable cream cheese or mascarpone are both fine)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Pour in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Fill a piping bag with the icing and spread over cakes. Big and swirly is the key!

Need a tasty and healthy new breakfast option? Be sure to try Tasted by Two's Yoghurt Berry Trifle recipe and keep following the blog for more of their yummy treats!