Red Velvet Chocolate Cup Cakes Recipe

Red Velvet Chocolate Cup Cake with Cherry center
and Sugar Crystals Topping

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

Here are some ideas to make your picnics interesting yet stress free for the person hosting the occasion.

My piece de resistance is my red velvet cake recipe. I use it to make muffins. Oven baked with a white-sugar topping and a black cherry centre, this promised to wow your fellow picnickers. Cream cheese icing is one of my firm favourites but I wouldn't chance it for this occasion.

Yields: if you use 45g of mixture per cupcake, small cupcake tin, it will make 30 or so

Ingredients :

2 1/2 cups Cake Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

3 Tablespoons Cocoa

3/4 cup unsalted Butter-room temperature

2 cups Castor Sugar

3 whole Eggs

1 t Vanilla Essence

A pinch fine Salt

45ml Red Food Coloring

3 T Luke Warm Water

1 cup Buttermilk or Amasi

1 t Bicarbonate of Soda

1 t White Vinegar

EXTRAS :

1 tin Black Cherries

White Sugar

Method :

1) Preheat oven to 180˚ C

2) Prepare cupcake tin with cupcake holders

3) Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa - set aside

4) Cream the butter and sugar amount until light and fluffy (about 15 mins)

5) Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition

6) Add the vanilla, salt, food coloring and the water. Beat this well

7) Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk, and mix until well combined

8) Then mix together the bi-carb and the vinegar and add this finally to the batter

9) Place a little batter within the cupcake holder, then place two cherries and then add more mixture. Give a good sprinkle of white sugar

10) Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713