As with final exams and the big game, the start of a new year has a tendency to turn even non-believers a tad superstitious. All around the world, 1/1 is a day rife with tradition and symbolic ritual.
Many of the world’s most persistent New Year’s traditions revolve around eating, with certain foods acting as symbols of the eater’s hopes and wishes for the future.
Baking something sweet for dessert is always a good idea for New year! Red Velvet cream is a good flavor when it comes to cakes and pastries. The taste—literally melts in your mouth.
Not much of baker? Here’s an easy red velvet cupcake recipe for beginners—you could try this on New Year’s eve!
You would need— 1 and 1/2 cups white flour, 2 large spoons cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 3/4 cup canola oil, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon red food coloring, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk, 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, Nonstick cooking spray, for coating ice cream scoop, 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature, 1 cup icing sugar, strawberry or cherries for icing.
How to make— Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line 48 mini muffin cups (2 large tins or 4 small) with paper liners (or better yet, some reusable silicone liners).
Whisk together the flour, cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the oil and granulated sugar on medium-high speed with a hand mixer in a large bowl until well combined. Add the egg and beat until well blended. Beat in the food coloring and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla.
On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, and then beat into the batter until fully incorporated.
At the same time beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. It will take around 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.
Lastly, pipe the frosting over the cooled cupcakes adding some cherries or strawberries for color coding and make your favorite design out of it!
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