Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet is kind of the only acceptable flavour for this time of year

Is it cliché to post a red velvet recipe around Valentine’s Day? Yeah probably. But I’ve been hanging onto this recipe for a while, and now seemed like the perfect time to share. I don’t think I’ve ever made a cupcake recipe as soft + moist as this in my life - it’s the stuff of dreams to be quite honest.

Also I love that this is a small batch recipe, because red velvet is one of those desserts that can be a little bit too sweet if you have too much of it. This bite-sized recipe means you only make what you need, and no more. Less food waste + less red velvet fatigue is a good time for everyone.

However you find yourself celebrating (or not celebrating) the holiday of love this year, I hope it’s a good one xo

Recipe / serves 4

Ingredients

For the red velvet cupcakes

1 large egg white, room temperature

50g caster sugar

1.5 tbsp neutral tasting oil, like sunflower or grapeseed

2.5 tbsp buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp red food colouring

45g plain white flour

15g cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

For the cream cheese frosting

30g butter, room temperature

85g cream cheese, cold

100g icing sugar, sifted

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F, and line a muffin tray with four muffin cases.

2. In a medium sized bowl with an electric mixer if you have it, whisk together the egg white, sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla essence and red food colouring until well combined.

3. Weigh out your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and sieve into the bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula until no dry spots remain. It should be a runny batter.

4. Divide the mixture evenly into the four muffin cases, and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out of a cupcake clean.

5. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire baking rack while you make the frosting.

6. First, whisk the butter until light and fluffy - about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until creamy. Keep in the fridge until the cupcakes are completely cool.

7. Once the cupcakes have cooled, spread the frosting on top, or use a piping bag to decorate. It is a quite a runny frosting though, so piping can be a little difficult.

8. Enjoy + devour.

Notes

Storage

These cupcakes will keep for 3 days in an air-tight container on your countertop without frosting. Once they have been decorated, it's better to keep them in the fridge due to the high amount of dairy in the frosting. They'll keep for 3 days in the fridge aswell.

Any leftover cream cheese frosting can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Use it to spread on cinnamon rolls or another batch of cupcakes!