After our first attempt at cupcakes, Iron Chef Katie and I decided we must try the red velvet cupcake recipe.... that was waaaay back in May. A few months later, we finally made a date to get back in the kitchen and give it a whirl!

Luckily Donna Hay's latest magazine had a recipe for red velvet, so we didn't have to go looking too far for a recipe.

They weren't too hard to make, with a bit of team effort, we managed to make a containable mess, with a bit of finger-licking goodness towards the end when photographing the finished product with the icing.

The finished product was delicious! The cocoa powder gives it a nice subtle chocolaty taste, whilst the cream cheese frosting offsets the chocolate tang. The mixture was lovely and fluffy, and we could have eaten all 12 at once... well maybe not, but one can dream.

We found some cheap chocolate hearts at the local sweet shop, and we were just expecting them to be average milk chocolate, but we got a nice surprise when we bit into them, to find they were filled full of strawberry goo.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Donna Hay

125g butter, softened
1/3 cup (165g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1.25 cups (185g) plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk
2 teaspoons red food colouring

cream cheese frosting:
250g cream cheese
50g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar mixture

1. Preheat the over to 160°C (320°F). Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10-12 minutes or until light and creamy.

2. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.

3. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa, buttermilk and food colouring and beat until just combined. Spoon into 12 x 1/2 cup capacity (125ml) muffin tins lined with cupcake papers.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on wire racks.

5. To make the cream cheese frosting, place the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6-8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat for a further 6-8 mintues or until light and fluffy. Spread onto the cupcakes with a palette knife.

Makes 12.

Voila! Bon Appétit!