How to make Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

You will need:

For the Cupcakes:

200g Self Raising Flour

175g Caster Sugar

125ml Vegetable Oil

150ml Buttermilk

1tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 Egg

2tsp Red Food Colouring (make sure it's bake stable)

For the Buttercream:

200g Icing Sugar

90g Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Milk

Method:

1. Firstly, for the cupcakes. In a bowl, mix together your self raising flour, caster sugar and cocoa powder.

2. In a separate bowl or jug, mix together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg and red food colouring.

3. Then to your dry ingredients add the wet ingredients and mix together until well combined and you have a nice batter.

4. Then divide your mixture between 12 cupcake cases, and bake in a pre-heated oven at Gas Mark 5, 190C or 170C fan assisted for 16-20 mins.

5. To make the buttercream, Make sure the butter is at room temperature.

6. Then to the icing sugar add the butter and push the butter into the icing sugar using a fork. This should help keep the icing dust down.

7. Once the butter and icing sugar are as mixed as they can be, add the vanilla extract, then add the milk as required until it is a smooth buttercream. If you add too much liquid, add more icing sugar to bring it back.

8. Then decorate the top of each cupcake with your buttercream. I added some sprinkles to the tops of mine but that's optional.