RED VELVET CUP CAKES
Red Velvet Cupcakes.
Thursday’s with Thumbelina…..& Theo!
Here’s an old story & a new recipe :)) Everybody loves Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Today is the last day we get to cook with our little Thumbelina for a while….bit sad & bitter-sweet for me :(( But very exciting for her & her mummy & daddy…off to the snow for the season! We decided to all meet up for coffee & cake before tackling our daily lists….. greeted by this wonderful wall sign.
A young cheffy friend, Hailey, makes the most awesome Red Velvet Cake, so at the cafe, we ordered several slices to share. Our little people keen to be out & about & mingling with the tribe once more.
Got us thinking about social amalgamation, integrations, acceptable public behaviour….our teaching responsibilities.
The usual manners of course, a bit of common courtesy. No running around willy-nilly, no very loud voices. Time to exercise a bit of constraint, acknowledge service, be aware of other patrons experience…
Interesting topic! Creates a platform for individual perspective. What do you think….?
It’s easy when we involve everyone in the round-table conversation….the kids get to have their say, & we get to explain the why or the why not. There’s a better understanding then…& we can hope for a little more clarity maybe, when the subject comes around again :))
Once our tummies are sorted, we head off with Thumbelina to spend a little bit of girly time, & make a few more memories.
We feed the ducks, ride a kangaroo, explore a doll shop, visit an old friend, & walk along rock walls, balancing by aunties hand. We learn to dolly-step! Don’t we all remember how to do that?
We want to try our own hand at Red Velvet, & decide on cupcakes! So we buy our groceries, then spend our last session playing together at the kitchen bench…… for a little while at least. We join forces with Theo, it’s after school by now….
Such fun! Lots of eggs to break, things to mix, beaters & spoons to lick, patty-cases to put in tins….wash-the-dishes, dry-the-dishes, turn-the-dishes oooover!
(In the midst of all this baking, we did a test run on a gluten-free batch, made on almond meal. We added more cocoa, a splash of vinegar & a heap of cochineal.)
My research had found that there is a chemical reaction between the cocoa powder & the vinegar which helps turn the cake red. Not sure, more testing required, however they were very moist & so yummy…
And then they are done! Out they come, all red & beautiful. They smell so good! We make the warm cream cheese icing, lick fingers again, & wash hands for the umpteenth time.
When they cool, we spread on the icing, we put little icing flowers on the top, & sprinkle them with silver balls…..
Ooohhh look!!!! How pretty!!!!
- 250g plain flour
- 2 x 15ml tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100g soft butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 rounded teaspoon red powder colour dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 175ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar or other vinegar
- 500g icing sugar, sifted
- 125g cream cheese
- 125g soft butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- shaved chocolate to decorate
Leave a Reply