Silky Red Velvet Cake
Mmmm..... red velvet cake, a southern favorite. This has long been a guilty pleasure of mine, and I bet I'm not alone in thinking this is a little slice of heaven. Lucky for me (but unlucky for my waistline), I happen to have a roommate who is the queen of all things sweet-tooth and specializes in making these rich, delectable, gastronomical masterpieces... completely from scratch and with a generous helping of homemade cream cheese frosting. T agreed to make some for The City Dweller blog; read on to see how she did it. :)
These ingredients make 24 cupcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2: Mix dry ingredients and mix wet ingredients separately. Then combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients together. This results in a more harmonious texture for baking. Blend on medium speed for 15 min for smooth batter.
Step 3: Place batter in Ziplock bag. Cut off the bottom corner of the bag for the batter to come out neatly. Doing this will allow you to freeze unused batter and use for another time. Simply pinch the corner over and hold with a paper clip for easy storage.
Step 4: Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the center is done. You can check this by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cupcake. If no batter comes up, then it is done. Place on cooling rack for 20 minutes.
Note: Cupcakes will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days. For longer storage periods, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Step 1: mix all ingredients together with a hand wire whip until a thick and smooth consistency is achieved.
Making the decoration:
Step 1: Place candy melt chips in ceramic cup and microwave for 30 second intervals. After each 30 second interval, stir candy melts to disperse the heat among the candy melts. Continue this process until you get a thick, shake constancy.
Step 2: In a completely dry candy mold tray, scoop the candy into each mold. Tap tray to release any air bubbles that maybe trapped in the candy tray. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. After 15 min, lightly bend the corner of the tray for an easy release. Flip over and tap tray to release candy from tray.
