Every time I bake cupcakes, out of the blue, I have two little pastry chefs in my kitchen. I think the fact that they are mini individual cakes makes the kids love cupcakes.
This recipe is perfect for those summer days during which we spend more time with our children and what can be better than to get them involved in the preparation of the food they love? While my 11-year-old handles the eggs, my 9-year-old lines the cupcake pan and mixes the dry ingredients.
Read more ¿Qué más? DIY whole wheat pancake mix…
I do combine flour unbleached flour with whole-wheat flour to make the cupcakes more nutritious. But all-purpose flours works well too. I'm not a big fan of coloring food, but when it's all about red velvet cupcakes, I succumb to the temptation.
If you put some red and blue confetti on top of the frosting, you'll have the perfect summer treat!
Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Makes 12 cupcakes
__Ingredients for the cupcakes:
__3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
In another bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and beat with electric mixer on low speed.
Gradually add dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
Distribute the mixture into the cupcake pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack.
__Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:
__4 oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners sugar
Preparation
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream cheese with the butter for 1 minute.
Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds.
Add the sugar and continue beating until you get a creamy mixture.
Let the kids decorate the cupcakes with a spatula or a non-serrated knife.
Check out more of my recipes on my cooking blog.
Image via Enriqueta Lemoine
