Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (375 mL)
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (30 mL)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (2 mL)
- 1 tsp baking powder (5 mL)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (250 mL)
- 1/2 cup canola oil (125 mL)
- 2 eggs (2)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 mL)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk (175 mL)
- 1/4 tsp concentrated red gel colouring (1 mL)
- 2 tsp vinegar (10 mL)
Cream Cheese Icing
- 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (227 g)
- 1/4 cup canola margarine (60 mL)
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups confectioner's sugar (875 mL- 1L)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
Red Velvet Cupcakes
1. Line one muffin pan with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and canola oil and egg until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add in buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in red gel colouring and vinegar until combined, about 20 strokes. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
4. Divide cupcake batter into the paper lined muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Once cupcakes are cooled completely.
5. Frost with Vanilla Icing. Recipe follows.
Cream Cheese Icing
1. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and canola margarine until very smooth. Add confectioner’s sugar and beat well.
2. Add vanilla and beat to combine ingredients.
Recipe notes: You can experiment with natural food colourings like beet juice (reduce liquid as you increase juice) but it will never produce the redness of using food colouring.