Red velvet cupcakes recipe
Nothing says romance like this heart-shaped red velvet cupcake recipe. This easy bake is super-simple to whip up and comes together in under an hour. The perfect Valentine's Day grab-and-go treat!
See method- Makes 12
- Takes 55 mins plus cooling
- 338 calories / serving
- Freezable
Ingredients
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 150g natural yogurt
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 medium eggs
- 190g plain four, sifted
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 190g caster sugar
- 15g tube extra-strong pink food gel
- 1 small raw beetroot, peeled and finely grated (about 55g)
- 45g butter, softened and diced
- 125g icing sugar
- 30g full-fat soft cheese
- 1 tbsp pink & red heart sprinkles
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Shop ingredientsEach serving contains
- Energy
- 1415kJ 338.0kcal
- Fat
- 17g
- Saturates
- 4g
- Salt
- 0.4g
- Sugars
- 29g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 41.3gProtein 4.6gFibre 2.1g
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Method
- Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases. Whisk the oil, yogurt, vanilla and eggs until smooth; set aside.
- Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the wet ingredients and fold together with a metal spoon.
- Add ¾ of the food colouring and the beetroot; mix to combine. Divide between the muffin cases. Roll 12 pieces of foil into marble-sized balls. Place the foil in each tin hole to make an indentation for the hearts, then bake for 20 mins or until a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, mix the butter, icing sugar and soft cheese in a bowl with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Spread over half the cupcakes, making a point at the bottom of the heart. Mix enough colouring through the remaining frosting to make a light pink, then use to top the remaining cakes; scatter over the sprinkles. Will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Tip: Skip the pink food colouring to make these vegetarian.
- See more Valentine's Day recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze undecorated cakes. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
