Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

How was your New Year celebration? I supposed you all have a wonderful New Year celebration.
Today school has just started, all my 3 kids going for morning class this year, so i have more free time in the morning and i can start to do baking after i have abandoned baking for almost a month..I was thinking what to post for my 1st post in 2012, something that bring "Ang Ang and Ong Ong " (good luck in Hokkien) ^_^, and Red velvet cake pop up in my mind since Chinese like red as the auspicious colour. Also this is a recipe that i wanted to make for a longer time.

Also because i have some leftover cream cheese frosting after i made a big batch of carrot mini cupcakes for a small party in my house on the New Year.
I altered a bit of the recipe, reduce sugar and slightly increased the butter. Even i have increased the butter, this cake not tasted oily, and the texture was soft, light and full of cocoa aroma, very nice cake indeed! And enjoy with cream cheese frosting, just perfect!

Before put into oven, the red colour was not that obvious.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Adapted from To Food With Loves with minor changes, cream cheese frosting from my previous post
*makes 17 mini cupcakes

150g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120g caster sugar
1 large egg
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (I substituted by combine 1/2cup milk +1/2tbsp lemon juice, set aside for 5mins)
1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar ( I use white rice vinegar)
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Place cup cake liners on a baking pan.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together in a bowl. In a jug, stir the red colouring into the buttermilk. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, followed by vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
4. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and buttermilk in 3 additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix until evenly combined.
5. Combine vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl until it fizzes. Quickly add to the batter and fold through briskly until evenly incorporated.
6. Pour into the prepared cupcake liners and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 25mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let it cool a wire rack.
8. Apply cream cheese frosting and serve.

Cream Cheese frosting
150g cream cheese, at room temperature
40g butter, at room temperature
70g icing sugar, sifted
1tbsp lemon juices
Finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

Method
1. Beat cream cheese and butter till light and creamy.
2. Add in icing sugar and mix well on low speed.
3. Add in lemon juices and lemon zest, combine well.
4. Store in fridge for later use.