Bakerella Red Velvet & Wilton 2d cupcakes

I am a massive fan of the Bakerella recipe for Red Velvet cake.

A few weeks ago, I was planning my wedding cupcakes (an alternative to a wedding cake), and went immediately back to this awesome recipe. 

This is a favourite for me, because it consistenly makes a beautifully flavoured, well cooked, moist cake. My general rule of thumb is that pretty much any cake recipe can be turned into cupcakes, but not all cupcake recipes can be turned into cake (in fact, not many at all). 

This was the first time I had made this recipe in cupcake form though, and man it was good. These were just as beautifully flavoured, moist and well cooked as the full cake version. 

This is definitely a flavour I want within my wedding cake. Not so long ago ( a few weeks), the plan was that I would make my own wedding cake/cupcakes, due to our tiny budget. However, I am very lucky, and my dad has offered to pay for a proper cake now, so I don't have to stress over it. YAY! One less thing to worry about is totally ok in my book.

As I was doing this for a wedding trial run, I invested (I use the term invested very lightly here, because it cost me $5.00) in a Wilton 2d icing tip. I have always really loved the rosette piped cupcakes created by this icing tip and wanted to recreate this tip at home. 

I did my usual thing and watched about 18 Youtube videos on the subject (how all the greats learned, I am sure) and then gave it a go myself.

Wow! This is so easy, like I am pretty sure I could have gotten Josh to do it, and he could have rocked it (no offence to him is meant here, he just really isn't a baker, especially not a cupcake decorator).
This icing tip may be my new favourite icing tip, and I do not say this lightly.

How cute are these?

Please excuse the poor lighting, this was a night time venture, and my photography skills are severely limited. Whenever possible I use my mums partners camera, but usually I have my silly smart phone, and that's it. 
I will totally accept sponsorship from a camera company, and make you proud, but until then, this is all you get. 

I dusted the top edges with gold lustre dust, and it just finished them off perfectly. For a first attempt, I am stoked with how these came out, I will be coming back to this one again and again.

The frosting is the cream cheese frosting that comes along with the Bakerella recipe. 

DO IT. 

Bakerella Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Or 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour 2 x 20cm cake pans (8-inch). If making cupcakes, prepare 2 x 12-hole muffin pans with papers.
3. Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
4. Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really well, with another wire whisk.
5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
6. Pour cake batter into prepared cake pans or muffin pans.
7. Bang muffin pans on benchtop to get any air bubbles out and to the surface.
8. Bake for 30 minutes for cake, or 18 minutes for cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. After about ten minutes, remove cakes from pans or muffin pans and cool completely on a wire rack. 
10. Make the frosting!

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz. cream cheese (240gm), room temperature

1 cup (226g) butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 cups icing sugar

1. Sift sugar and set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
3. Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.
4. Frost away!!

Lou xoxo