Red velvet cupcakes

MAKES ABOUT 22 PREP AND COOK TIME 45 MINUTES

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1 cup (150) self-raising flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ¼ cup (275g) caster sugar

1 ½ cups (375ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon red food colouring

2 eggs, beaten lightly

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup (160ml) vegetable oil chocolate sprinkles and red sugar pearls, to decorate

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

200g dark chocolate, chopped finely 250g butter, softened

500g icing sugar mixture, sifted

1/3 cup (80ml) milk (at room temperature) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Line 2 x 12 hole muffin trays ( 1/3 cup/80ml) capacity with 22 paper cases.

2 Sift flours, soda and cocoa powder into a large bowl, add sugar; stir to combine.

3 Combine the buttermilk and food colouring in a small jug.

4 Whisk in eggs, vanilla and oil into flour mixture, then buttermilk mixture. Whisk until smooth and combined.

5 Spoon ¼ cup (60ml) of mixture into paper cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand cakes in pans for

5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool. 6 CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM Place chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl; microwave on medium (50%) power for 40-60 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth; cool. Beat the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and as white as possible. Beat in the icing sugar mixture and milk. On low speed beat in vanilla extract and melted chocolate.

7 Top cold cakes with Chocolate Buttercream and decorate with chocolate sprinkles and sugar pearls. Uniced cakes suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.