Red velvet cupcakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C and place paper liners in a muffin pan. A moderate temperature helps the cupcakes rise evenly without cracking or darkening on top. The oven is ready once it has held its temperature steadily for a few minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Sift 200 g cake flour, 10 g cocoa powder, 4 g baking soda and 2 g salt into a separate bowl. Sifting keeps the cocoa from clumping and spreads the baking soda evenly so the cupcakes rise uniformly. The mixture is ready when it is fine, fluffy and an even light brown.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Beat 85 g softened unsalted butter with 220 g granulated sugar on medium speed for about three minutes, then pour in 60 g vegetable oil and beat for a few seconds more. Butter brings the flavor, while oil keeps the crumb moist and soft for days. The mixture is ready when it is light, pale and smooth.

   Suggested time: about 3 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Add 100 g eggs one at a time, beating well after each one so they blend fully into the butter and sugar. Adding them one by one keeps the mixture from curdling. It's ready when it is silky and glossy with no streaks of egg.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   In a large cup, stir 180 g buttermilk with 10 g red food coloring, 5 g vanilla extract and 5 g lemon juice. The acid in the buttermilk and lemon reacts with the baking soda to make the cupcakes fluffy and keeps the red vibrant. The mixture is ready when it is an even deep red.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Add the dry mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter and eggs alternately in three additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed or folding with a spatula. Adding them in stages lets the flour absorb the liquid evenly without long mixing. The batter is ready when it is just smooth, evenly red and free of white streaks of flour.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Spoon the batter into the liners until each is about two-thirds full; an ice cream scoop helps keep them all the same size. Leaving some room lets the cupcakes dome nicely without overflowing. This step is done when every liner holds the same amount of batter.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake the cupcakes at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan after twelve minutes. Rotating keeps the cupcakes at the edges from baking faster than those in the middle. They're done when the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 22 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Leave the cupcakes in the pan for five minutes, then move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely, about an hour. Warm cupcakes will make the cream cheese frosting melt and slide off. They're ready when the bottoms of the liners feel completely cool.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Beat 225 g cream cheese with 115 g unsalted butter, both softened to room temperature, until smooth, then add 250 g powdered sugar in three additions along with 3 g vanilla extract and keep beating on medium speed. Don't beat too long, as cream cheese thins out easily. The frosting is ready when it is smooth, light and holds its shape when scooped.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe a swirl on each cupcake from the outside toward the center and finish with a small peak. You can sprinkle red velvet crumbs on top for decoration. They're finished when the frosting is tall and even with crisp, defined swirls.

    Mark step 11 as done