the Breville Test Kitchen
Red Velvet Fairy Cakes
With the words ‘red’ and ‘velvet’, you know it’s going to be love at first taste. Mixing, whisking and creaming are all but a turn of the dial for these rich fluffy cupcakes and their whipped silky icing.
3 hrs 10 mins total time
45 mins active time
Medium
Makes 18
Ingredients
Measurements:
2¾ cups (405 g) plain flour
¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
185 g unsalted butterat room temperature, chopped
1½ cups (300 g) caster sugar
2 large eggsat room temperature, chopped
¾ cup (180 g) sour cream
1 tbsp red food colouring
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting
- 60 g unsalted butter
at room temperature, chopped
250 g cream cheeseat room temperature, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups (350 g) icing sugarsifted
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two 12-cup muffin trays (⅓ cup capacity) with 18 foil or paper patty pans.
- 2Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of baking paper.
- 3Assemble the mixer using the glass mixing bowl and scraper beater. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl. Slowly turn the mixer to LIGHT MIXING setting and beat for 1 minute then increase the speed to CREAMING/ BEATING setting and beat for 2 minutes, or until pale and creamy.
- 4Reduce the speed to LIGHT MIXING setting and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Mix in the sour cream.
- 5Combine the food colouring and buttermilk in a small liquid measuring jug. Add half the buttermilk mixture to the batter. Beat in half the flour mixture, then repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour mixtures.
- 6Combine the bicarb soda and vinegar in a small bowl. Turn the mixer to FOLDING/KNEADING setting and pour the vinegar mixture into the batter. Beat for 20 seconds.
- 7Evenly divide the batter among the patty pans.
- 8Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of one cupcake comes out clean.
- 9Let cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- 10To make the cream cheese icing, assemble the mixer using a glass mixer bowl and scraper beater. Put the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in the bowl. Slowly turn the mixer to CREAMING/BEATING setting and beat for 1 minute, or until combined. Reduce the speed to FOLDING/KNEADING setting and gradually add the sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to CREAMING/BEATING setting and beat until well combined.
- 11Spread or pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes and serve.
