Red Velvet Cupcakes

Last weekend, I decided to make Red Vels for some friends for their birthday. This was my first time making Red Vels. As more posts come, you'll learn that a lot of these are my first times, well at least from scratch. In order to make these cupcakes, I had to look at some recipes. There are TONS of Red Velvet recipes out there and they're all really different. So, I did some researching on what particular ingredients do and came up with a recipe of my own. Of course, I'm not going to share that information (it's a secret) but I could tell you some of the things I learned about baking.


LESSON #1: KNOW YOUR OVEN!!
This lesson alone could have its own post. I can't tell you how important knowing what your oven is capable of doing is. The oven I currently use takes around 30 minutes to preheat and it kills me. So, it's very important that when I decide to bake I plan ahead. The reason I found this lesson so applicable is because like most ovens the top is much hotter and of course the top of the cupcakes cook faster than anywhere else. Therefore, my first batch of cupcakes came out with a crusty top. Moving the cupcakes half way through cooking to the bottom rack made for perfect heating the second time around. The most important aspect of an oven is the heat capacity. 350 degrees on one oven may not be 350 degrees on another. So becoming familiar with how your oven cooks is vital in how your food turn out.


LESSON #2: DO NOT USE SELF-RISING FLOUR
Of course this lesson was a little exaggerated but still important to note. If a recipe calls for just flour use just flour not self-rising flour. Recipes with just plan flour generally contain baking soda or baking powder, which is created to make batter rise when baking so self-rising flour will only turn cupcakes into muffins.

Don't use self-rising flour

But remember, cupcakes are snacks and muffins can sometimes be meals!

The last thing I learned about the Red Velvet recipe was my cupcakes turned out too red. Red Velvets are suppose to be a dark reddish brown because of 1) the cocoa powder and 2) the red food dye. However, it is possible to have all ranges of reds when it comes to this recipe but I'd prefer it to be darker.

Red Velvet Cupcakes: ★★★★☆

**Extra**
Why are Red Velvets red?
Back in the day, the reaction of vinegar and buttermilk brought out the red in cocoa.However, cocoa has changed a bit and doesn't turn red but to keep the history of the cake, red food coloring or beet juice is added. Next time, I'll use beet juice. It is said to retain moisture. Everyone loves a moist cake.

As Always, Sweet Dreams!