Cream Cheese Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cupcakes

I wanted to make something fun for the kids. So I got out some ice-cream cones and decided to make cupcakes with them. 

Red velvet ice-cream cone

They turned out great! I piped cream cheese on the top which looked like ice cream and served them to the kids. At first sight, they screamed "Ice-Cream" and rushed for them. Seconds later, they were licking the cream cheese just like ice-cream.

These cupcakes were great with kids. Since it doesn't melt, there's no mess to clean up after and can be made in advance for parties. You can use any flavor of cupcakes. I made red velvet as these are my husband's favorite. Enjoy some cupcakes for your next party. =)

Red velvet cupcakes

Recipe

For Red Velvet Cupcake
125g sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
150g sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp baking soda
16 ice-cream cones

Cream Cheese Frosting
227g cream cheese (at room temperature and cut into 1 inch cube)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 sifted powdered sugar (sifted)
160 ml cold heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with ice-cream cones.

2. Sifted flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder together. Set aside.

3. Whisk buttermilk and food coloring until well combined. Set aside.

4. Use a paddle attachment on stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat butter till soft.

5. Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.

6. Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat until incorporated.

7. Set mixer to low speed and add in 1/3 of flour. Beat until incorporated. (about 3 minutes)

8. Add in 1/2 of buttermilk. Beat until incorporated. (about 3 minutes)

9. Add in 1/3 of flour. Beat until incorporated. (about 3 minutes)

10. Add in remaining buttermilk. Beat until incorporated. (about 3 minutes)

11. Add in remaining flour. Beat until well combined. (about 5 minutes)

12. Place baking soda in a small bowl or cup. Pour in vinegar.

13. Use a spoon to stir in all baking soda quickly and pour into batter. (Should take no more than 5 seconds)

14. Fold the baking soda into cake batter.

15. Spoon batter into cones. Fill up to 1/3 of the cones.

16. Bake for 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

17. Leave to cool on cooling rack.

18. Use a paddle attachment on stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.

19. Add in vanilla essence and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

20. Replace the paddle attachment with whisk attachment on stand mixer.

21. Add in heavy cream and whip until frosting is thick.

22. Pipe the cream cheese onto cake.

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Tips & Tricks

1. Sifted flour before measuring.

2. Baking soda and vinegar has to be incorporated quickly into the batter. The frizz will help the cake to rise.

3. Get the cakes into oven quickly to make sure the frizz in the baking soda is maintained.

4. Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature. If it's too cold, lumps will form.

5. Cutting cream cheese into cubes help prevents lumps from forming.

6. If cream cheese frosting is too wet, add in cream to thicken it.

7. If cream cheese frosting is too thick, add in some powdered sugar to loosen it.

8. Served at room temperature.

9. Adapted from Joy of Baking. See below video for complete demonstration.

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My Baking Pantry

Cake Flour

I got my cake flour from Target. This is a common cake flour brand in USA. Cake flour loosen the cake cake making it lighter and airier.

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes

I'm so "out-dated"! According to the internet, it seems that these little cupcakes can be easily bought from  bakeries in Singapore and Malaysia. However, despite my many trips back to Singapore and Malaysia, I am ashamed to say I've never tried them!

I found this cake while searching on the internet for an easy recipe to use up all my left-over custard cream from my earlier cream puffs experiment. Combining two of my husband's favourite chiffon cake and custard cream - this cake is perfect for using up my cream fillings.

OMG!!! This cake is heavenly. Fluffy soft cake with smooth creamy custard... It's so good! For a baking novice, I do say mine turn out beautifully. I can't wait to try one of these when I next return to Singapore. =)

Fluffy soft cake with smooth creamy custard

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Recipe 

(Makes 8 cupcakes)

For chiffon cake
3 egg yolks
20g sugar
35g corn oil / vegetable oil
60g milk
70g cake flour

3 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
25g sugar

For custard cream
1 box of French Vanilla Pudding
1 1/2 cup cold milk
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of extra-fine sugar / powdered sugar (optional)

For Custard Cream
1. Mix the french vanilla pudding with milk. Set aside in fridge.

2. Whip cream, vanilla extract and sugar with cold mixing bowl and whisk until stiff.

3. Fold in 1/3 of the cream into the french vanilla pudding. Add this mixture into the rest of the cream and fold in gently until all cream has been mixed into the pudding. Set aside in fridge.


For chiffon cake
1. Pre-heat oven to 330F.

2. Arrange paper liners on baking tray.

3. Hand whisk egg yolk and sugar till pale in color.

4. Add in corn oil and milk, continue whisking till combined.

5. Sift in cake flour, continue whisking till combined.

6. Using either stand mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand beater, beat egg white and cream of tartar till foamy.

7. Add in the sugar in 3 separate additions while beating at high speed till just firm peaks form.

8. Take 1/3 of egg white and fold into the egg yolk batter with a spatula.

9. Make a hole in the center of the remaining egg white and pour in egg yolk batter.

10. Fold in all the egg white into the egg yolk batter until well combine.

11. Scoop batter into paper liners until 3/4 full.

12. Bake for 30 mins or when toothpick comes out clean.

13. Remove from oven and use a small knife to poke a 1 cm hole in the surface of the cake.

14. Leave cakes to cool.

Serving Instructions
1. Pipe custard cream into the cupcake using the hole poke earlier.

2. Dust with powdered sugar.

3. Left-over cakes should be refrigerated.

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Tips and Tricks

1. Do not overbeat the egg white. You can refer to the Kitchn for guide on egg whites.

2. Poke the hole in the top center while the cake is hot.

3. Make sure the cakes are completely cool before piping the cream. Otherwise, cream will melt. So make the cakes 2 ~ 3 hours in advance.

3. Pipe the cream just before serving.

4. Use free standing muffins cups for these recipes.

Adapted from Forbidden Garden.