Red Velvet cupcakes

Continuing with the Chocolate theme these cupcakes are a real winner especially when you use some imagination with the toppings. As it is an American recipe the quantities are in 'cups' - I use an ordinary teacup.


2 + 1/2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks of butter
5 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (1 tbsp lemon juice then fill the cup with milk and mix well)

1 tsp red food colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mis the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Sift 3 times. Cream together the
butter and sugar, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add 1/4 of the dry ingredients to creamed mixture then 1/4 of the buttermilk, until all mixed in well. Add the vanilla extract and the food colouring.


Spoon into fairy cake cases or a small muffin tin.


Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 mins.


Wait until cool and then decorated with icing and toppings of your choice such as strawberries and a mint leaf, grated chocolate, kiwi fruit, chocolate buttons, hundreds and thousands etc.


You can choose to add a little less or a little more food colouring as you wish. With 1 tsp the cakes will have a slightly red tinge.


These cakes have a lovely texture and taste.


Enjoy!