Finally I feel like I deserve to have a blog with these red velvet cupcakes

These cupcakes are everywhere. And rightly so. They are delicious. There is something beautiful about the delicate red crumb. Sour cakes with chocolate and vanilla smothered with cream cheese icing. Wow.

Thanks to the "Cake Mistress" for her recipe. I didn't have buttermilk, so did a direct substitution with nice sour greek yoghurt.

I made 9 big ones.

60g butter, room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 egg

10g cocoa powder

20mL red liquid food dye

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup greek-style yoghurt

150g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 170C (160C fan forced).

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, beat until well mixed.

In a small bowl, mix together the food dye, cocoa and vanilla essence. Beat into the butter mixture and mix thoroughly.

Gently whisk in half of the yoghurt, followed by half the flour and repeat until it is all mixed in. Do not overmix.

Sprinkle over the salt and bicarb, then the vinegar. It will froth up. Mix in gently.

Fill the patty cases until 2/3 full (do not overfill).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are springy, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool slightly in the tray, then remove to a wire rack. Ice when completely cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a food processor combine 50g softened butter and 300g icing sugar until smooth. Add 125g cream cheese and mix until smooth and fluffy.

Pink Smarty cupcakes for Hannah's cupcakes-filled birthday

Hannah requested that Angela make her vanilla cupcakes with pink buttercream icing and smarties. I wanted in on the action. The result - delicious fluffy cupcakes. Delicious icing. Hannah was thrilled. I think she asked too many people for cupcakes because she ended up with three different plates. I may be biased - but ours looked and tasted the best!

We made 24 mini and 26 regular sized cupcakes

200g butter, softened

1 3/4 cups caster sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

2 +3/4 cups (405g) SR flour

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the cupcake pans with patty pans.

Cream the butter. Add the sugar and vanillas. Mix until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined (it may curdle slightly, but dont worry as it will be fine once the flour is in).

Fold in the milk and flour in alternate batches.

Spoon into patty cases (only fill about 2/3 of the way). Bake for 15-20 minutes for the regular sized ones and shorter for the mini ones. I have a habit of not using a timer and just stay in the kitchen and check on them regularly. They are ready when they spring back to the touch and are lightly golden. If they peak in the middle like nipples the oven is too hot or they are too close to the element.

Butter Frosting

100g butter, softened

3 cups (450g) icing sugar

Vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Milk

Food dye

Use a blender to cream the butter and vanilla bean. Add the icing sugar and food dye and mix well. Add the milk, in tbsp increments until desired consistency is reached. I like a thick buttercream icing that will hold its shape when decorated.