Sunday baking. Oh, I love it!

I make (red) velvet cakes or cupcakes when I feel good, I don’t need them to make me feel good. (Red) velvet cake is there to make you think, how good life is, because you can enjoy a velvety treat. Does that make any sense? Do I sound high? Maybe I still am… Velvet high.

I tried a couple times to make the red velvet cake red, but unfortunately the red food coloring I use does not do it’s job good enough, so they always turn brown. I also tried beet juice to color them and that turned into being my tasting secret. They were so yummy that I would never skip adding the juice anymore (just instead of the food coloring).

The recipe for the cupcakes is adapted from The Cake Mistress . I usually do a normal butter cream frosting and add some almond extract to it. And again I have to write that sentence. Nobody knows red velvet cake here in Germany. So a lot of people get all amazed by that new flavor they experience.

(Red) Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 g) Butter or lactose free margarine, room temp
• 3/4 cup (150 g) Sugar
• 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
• 10 g Cocoa Powder
• 20 ml Red Food coloring, gel/paste, or red beet juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Buttermilk or Soy Milk
• 1 1/4 cup (150 g) Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon White wine Vinegar

Preheat the oven to 330 degrees Fahrenheit (170 Celsius) . Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper forms.
Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well mixed.
In a small bowl, mix the food coloring, cocoa powder and vanilla extract until it makes a thick paste.
Add the paste or beet juice to the butter mixture and beat until the color is mixed through the batter.
On slow speed, slowly add half the buttermilk or soy milk until well mixed then add half the flour until well mixed. Repeat for the remaining milk and flour, beating until the mixture is smooth.
Add the salt, baking soda and vinegar, turning up the speed and beating for a couple more minutes.
Fill the paper forms about two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes (a tooth pick should come out clean).

Of course, you can also just fill the batter in a small cake form, like I did for the 4th of July!