In the spirit of Valentine Day, Umarah and I decided to bake, and realised we were out of red food colouring, so we adapted this recipe to what we had in the cupboards.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (I used Low Fat Yoghurt)
2 teaspoons orange extract/Grand Manier
1 tsp orange food coloring
½ cup hot water
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 1\2 cups flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
Method:
Preheat oven to 180
In a large bowl mix together sugar and oil until well combined.
Beat in eggs until mixture is uniform in color.
Add in buttermilk, vanilla extract and food coloring.
Mix until well combined.
Mix in hot water and vinegar.
Add flour.
Mix together bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and add to bowl.
Add in cocoa powder.
Mix to combine all ingredients.
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Pour ¼ cup of batter into each liner.
Bake to 18-20 minutes or until tops are spongy to the touch. (do not over cook. See notes
Remove from oven and let cupcakes sit in pan for 5 minutes.
Place cupcakes on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes *DO NOT OVER COOK-It’s ok if a few crumbs cling to the toothpick
Cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
110g butter, softened
225g cream cheese
480g icing sugar
1 tsp orange essence
1 Tbspn candied Satsuma peels
Method
Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.
Add icing sugar, essence and finely chopped Satsuma peel
Beat until creamy.
Recipe credit: Thanks Reshika Singh for sharing the Red Velvet cupcakes recipe
Prepared, tried and tested by: Preshana Singh and daughter Umarah
