By Tracey
Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Easy Vanilla Buttercream
cupcakes adapted from Saveur, buttercream adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
(Note: if you’d rather do red velvet, just eliminate the blue and violet food coloring, and instead use 2 tablespoons of red liquid food coloring.)
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Wilton dark blue gel food coloring
- 1 tiny dab Wilton violet gel food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Buttercream
- 20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (10 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Whisk vigorously until well combined and smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4-full. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for a few minutes then remove them from the pans to cool completely.
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt, and beat at medium low to start incorporating the sugar (the mixture may become crumbly), then increase the speed to medium and beat until fully combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and heavy cream, and beat on medium speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
Makes about 16-20 cupcakes.
