Red Velvet Marshmallow Cupcakes…not!
May 23rd, 2008
I recently found out about the Cupcake Hero and guess what, their latest challenge’s ingredient is: Cocoa!
Well I use cocoa for almost every chocolate cupcake I make so I figured what could be so different…until I decided to try Red Velvet Marshmallow Cupcakes! I had a marshmallow cupcake order coming up, so why not?
The elusive red velvet cupcake is made with two special ingredients: vinegar & buttermilk & cocoa. Haha, I meant 3 ;) When vinegar, cocoa powder & heat combine, apparently a chemical reaction is caused and POOF, the powerpuff girls! Yee haw! Haha. No, I meant that’s how it gets its red hue. Mm hmm. However, it isn’t always possible to get that particular chemical reaction. (We’re bakers not scientists ;) but wait, I think baking IS a science…) Bakers use strawberry or beetroot to get that magical red colour. In other cases, red dye is used. Well I kinda am a stickler in the dye category, using it only when I must, so I decided to try to omit the red and leave my cupcakes to science!
*drumroll*
After delicately yanking em out of the oven I discovered, to my utter horror, that I’d baked PERFECTLY MOIST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES!
-insert visions of red velvety dreams rudely squashed and trampled by a big block of chocolate-
*sigh* But on the other hand, they were real yummy too. The next time, I’m going to figure how to naturally red that cake! Until then, I’ll be content with my moist cocoa concoction – a misfire find which I’m glad to have discovered! This recipe is a keeper.
Red Velvet Marshmallow Cupcakes…not!
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup superfine (cake) flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder1. Cream butter & sugar til fluffy
2. Add in vanilla, vinegar & eggs one at a time
3. Sift dry ingredients and add in alternatively with milk
4. Spoon into cupcakes & bake for 20 minutes – 25 minutes at 160′C.Chocolate Cocoa Frosting
100g chocolate, melted
150g butter
100g icing sugar
7 tbsp cocoa powder1. Whip all together
Marshmallowizing
1. Cut a hole from the top of cupcakes and insert marshmallow cream.
2. Cover holesAssembly
1. Frost cupcakes with frosting
2. Decorate with mini marshmallows. You can burn the tops if you want too! I couldn’t :(
So there we have it, naked red velvet marshmallow cupcakes!
wufoo! *crosses fingers for Cupcake Hero-dom*
May 30th, 2008 at 5:15 am
a few things i have read re: red velvet have said that while yes those ingrdients do cause a chemical reaction that does ‘redden’ the batter/cake, it will not give you that red color you see in most rv cakes, that is typically achieved through an artificial manner like food coloring or similar. some people have tried beet juice and reported it makes the cake taste icky.
also the amount of cocoa powder in a typical red velvet recipe will be more like 1-2 tablespoons which is why your 3/4cup made it a choco cuppie! the more cocoa you add, the more ‘reddening’ agent you have to add to pull back the brown.
however, yours came out SUPER CUTE even if they are cocoa cupcakes and not red velvet hehehe.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Mara, thanks so much for that! I must have been mighty deceived. Thanks for your valuable input, I’ll take it into consideration and redo a REAL red velvet cake post :)
Thanks!!