Elmo red velvet cupcakes

So my cutie pie niece turned 1!!

As the first baby in my husband's family, Isla is spoiled rotten - especially by K and I. We love nothing more than to carry and cuddle her, play with her, make her laugh, give her toys and clothes - and hand her back when she starts getting irritable and tired! Isla, of late, has become a huge fan of Elmo - only he can keep her still and captivated as she watches him sing and dance on Sesame Street. As such, with Isla turning one, I decided that I would bake her Elmo cupcakes - red velvet ones at that!

Ingredients (for 12 normal sized cupcakes or about 30 baby cakes)

60g unsalted butter - at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
10g cocoa powder
20mL red food colouring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
120mL buttermilk
150g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarb
1 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Frosting
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter - at room temperature
125g cream cheese

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a cupcake pan with cases.
2. Cream together the butter and the caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the food colouring, cocoa and vanilla extract into a thick paste.
4. Add the paste to the butter and beat together until the colour is evenly mixed through, making sure to scrape down the sides.
5. On slow speed, add half the buttermilk and beat, and then add half the flour and beat for a minute or two.
6. Add the remainder of the buttermilk and flour and beat together until all combined.
7. Add the salt, bicarb and vinegar, turning up the speed and beating for a few minutes until the mixture is completely light and fluffy.
8. Spoon into the patty cases and bake for 22 minutes if normal sized cupcake and 15 for babycakes.
9. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the tin and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
10. For the frosting, beat together the sifted flour and the butter for a few minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
11. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

I had purchased on eBay Elmo cupcake toppers as well as a Elmo cupcake stand. The cupcake toppers were a bit fiddly, cutting them out, spritzing the cupcakes with water before pressing them on. I much preferred the cupcakes without the toppers, but for the spirit of Isla's love for Elmo - so be it!The cupcake stand was great, very easy to assemble and then dissemble for ease of storage and transportation.

Isla loved the cupcakes - especially smooshing them up in her hands. This was her first taste of cakes or cupcakes - and she started with red velvet! I think I may have spoilt her for life!

thesuzchef x