Red Velvet Cupcakes

Today's a big day for me: I'm turning 21 and am therefore officially 'grown up' in all areas around the globe and - whereas I truly hope and believe I'll never fully be - America is finally accepting my 'adulthood' and I won't ever have to cope with edding-marked hands again, in order to prevent me from buying alcoholic drinks in US bars/clubs. 

On Saturday I'll throw a little party which I'm already looking forward to for several reasons. I love birthdays, I love my people, I love my dresscode/theme (Miley Cyrus, yay!) and I looove preparing the food and drinks for the big night. These unbelievably delicious red velvet cupcakes have slightly filled me with pride when I made them for a friend of mine the other day and am gonna be part of my 'American' sweet table. Here's my recipe for you; I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did (and hopefully my guests will).

Love, Julie.

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
Red food colouring
Vanilla extract (about 1 1/2 tbl. spoons)
200g Flour
180g Sugar
3 tbl. spoons baking powder
2 tbl. spoons cocoa powder
1/2 tbl. spoon salt
60g oil
55g butter (at room temperature)
120g buttermilk

80g butter (at room temperature)
40g powdered sugar (varies on how sweet you want it to turn out)
300g Cream cheese
Vanilla extract (optional)

1.) Preheat oven at 175°C and prepare your muffin baking tray.

2.) Put together the egg whites, food colouring and vanilla extract and beat softly.

3.) In a seperate bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt and put aside until needed.

4.) In another bowl, stir oil and butter with a blender for a minute and add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Beat until creamy and finally add the prepared mixture of step 2.

5.) Fill the dough in the muffin trays (to 2/3rd) and bake for about 20 minutes. Test with a wooden spit.

6.) For the topping you need to stir the cream cheese and butter until smooth and add the sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and put the frosting in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. (I had a perfect result after cooling it overnight!)

7.) Apply the icing on the sponges and decorate after your taste. Bon appétit!