Coming from the Victorian era, red velvet as a flavour earned its popularity back in the early 2000s. Well, that is essentially when every bakery and cake shop started to sell red-velvet flavoured cakes, cookies, pastries and everything in between.
Speaking of these cakes, a lot of attraction for red velvet stemmed from the rich red colour along with the delightful flavour, which basically means that it did not just taste good, but it looked good too.
Soon enough, there was an increasingly high demand for red velvet desserts, so much so that it became the number one item in every bakery and cake shop. When bakers noticed this, they started to provide red velvet cupcakes, which proved to be the perfect size for a snack or dessert.
But what is it about these cupcakes that makes everyone give in and have a bite, no matter what diet they're on?
We have narrowed it down to these 5 reasons.
1. The Colour
It would interest you to know that red velvet cakes were not always quite so… red.
Initially, they were just normal-looking cakes. The beautiful red colour is in fact the result of a chemical reaction that occurs because of a few ingredients in the recipe. Put simply, what originally starts off as a basic brown colour turns into an exotic red colour when cocoa powder, baking soda and vinegar go through a chemical reaction.
Regardless, the bright colour served as a point of attraction for customers for a long time and still continues to do so.
2. The Flavour
This one sounds obvious, but it deserves a mention.
While chocolate cakes are deeply loved, not everyone is a fan of chocolate. Red velvet cakes, on the other hand, have only a hint of chocolate in them as compared to normal cakes and this is what gives you a lovely blend of tangy and sweet. This contrast between the two flavours blends and starts to complement each other as soon as they hit your taste buds, giving red velvet cupcakes that unique flavour.
Note - An interesting fact about red velvet cakes is that - while regular chocolate cakes require coffee and water to bring in the moistness to them, red velvet cakes use buttermilk and vinegar.
3. The Frosting
Chocolate cakes usually come with similar frosting. Moreover, there really aren't any options because chocolate as a flavour is sweet so the frosting has to complement it. With ultra pure cream chargers, you can avoid heavy cream, which results in a fluffy and light texture. This also creates a more consistent whipped cream texture with voluminous benefits.
However, the original red velvet cake endorses a cream cheese frosting, which helps in ensuring that it does not taste overly sweet. Other options like cream cheese also work wonderfully for frosting, as it perfectly balances out the sweet and the savoury flavours.
4. Easy to Make
One of the reasons why red velvet is popular with bakers as well as cake enthusiasts is because the recipe is not too complicated.
Red velvet cupcakes are even easier to make if you already have moulds. In this case, all you need to do is bake them, take them out, add a layer of frosting and voila - your dessert is ready!
5. The Perfect Gift
Due to its red colour and its fame for being an elite dessert, red velvet cupcakes are considered to be wonderful gifts, especially for occasions like Valentine's Day or anniversaries. They are also often exchanged as a sign of love or affection.
If reading about them has already started to make your mouth water, we suggest you place an order right away. However, if you are one of those DIY enthusiasts, we have mentioned the recipe right here for you.
Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe
What You Will Need
- 130g strained, self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp strained, cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 90g light brown soft sugar
- 80ml vegetable oil
- 80ml buttermilk
- Vanilla extract
- Red food colouring
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 60g unsalted butter
- 150g full-fat soft cheese
- 250g icing sugar
Steps to Follow
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Keep your cupcake tray lined up with cupcake cases.
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Beat together the oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, red food colouring and egg.
- Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together until the mixture is smooth.
- Put the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes.
Steps to Follow for Frosting
- Beat the butter until it is smooth and then pour in the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract, and mix them well.
- Then add the red food colouring and beat the mixture until it is evenly coloured.
- Gather the icing into a piping bag, cut up a small hole, then cover it with another bag and attach a nozzle at the end.
- Wait until the cupcakes are cool and then apply the frosting.
To Conclude
There is never a reason not to have a red velvet cupcake, be it for a snack or dessert post-dinner. Whether you choose to bake them yourself or place an order, once you take a bite, you will agree that they truly are the best.
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