Red velvet cupcakes

My friend Lizzie recently moved into a fabulous flat in Hampstead and was having a housewarming party on Saturday. Naturally, I wanted to bring something home baked. I was about to run to my trusted vanilla cupcake recipe but I thought to myself that it's terrible to have to many cookery books and not try out new things. So I decided to pick up one of my untested cookery books and try something new.

The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook is one that I've been curious about but could not really justify with all the baking books I own. I didn't buy it until I found it so reduced that it would have been an offence not to. And I am so glad that I did. If this recipe is anything to go by, this book really is a cut above the rest (including the likes of Nigella.

These cupcakes were so moist and dense yet light. Really sumptuous and a complete hit. Here is the recipe, however note that I reduced the amount of sugar in the frosting by 1/3 (personal preference) when in my cupcakes and we all thought they were sweet enough.

Ingredients:

60g butter at room temperature
150g caster sugar
10g cocoa
10ml red food colouring
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
120ml buttermilk
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
Frosting
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g butter at room temperature
125g cream cheese, chilled

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl mix the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla extract. Once mixed add to the creamed butter and sugar.

4. Mix carefully until combined and then add half the buttermilk, mix further and add half the flour. Mix thoroughly before adding the remainder of the buttermilk and flour and mixing further.

5. Add the white wine vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix thoroughly for at least 5 mins.

6. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until the cupcakes spring back slightly when touched.

7. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire cooling rack.

8. In the meantime, to make the frosting cream the icing sugar and butter together until well mixed.

9. Add the cream cheese and mix until it is incorporated. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy for at least 5 mins.

10. Use a spatula to layer the frosting on top of the cupcakes.