Trial and Error

Julnette, (one of four best friends) is getting married this June and has asked me to do her wedding cake/cupcakes. I gladly said yes and am slowly realizing what I signed up for. She is expecting a party of at least 100 people. Not too bad, right?

That gives me about two months to kitchen-test a full-proof red velvet cupcake recipe and three months to figure out how I'm supposed to pull this all off - gracefully. Do I make the cupcakes the night before or the day of? Do I frost the night before or the day of? Do I pipe or slather on the frosting. Cupcake tower? No cupcake tower? Not to mention how should I setup the cake they plan to cut into? Eek!

Here goes my first test run. This recipe is from Simply Recipes. I couldn't find Dutch processed cocoa powder, so I used Hershey's Special Dark (a blend of dutch and unsweetened cocoa powder). On top of all the stress, I presented the cupcakes to a mix of strangers and friends .. Verdict: Two thumbs up! This batch made 24 and luckily I was able to get my hands on the last cupcake and take a picture. I'll be making red velvet at once every two weeks tweeking it here and there to make sure I've got it just right..



Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk*
1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar
Frosting ingredients

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
*You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to milk and letting it stand for about 10 minutes.


Method
The cupcakes

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

3 In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.

4 Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients.

5 Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.

6 Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes.

The Frosting

1 Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2 Add the vanilla extract and mix.

3 Add the powdered sugar, continually taste to get to desired sweetness. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.