Red Velvet Acorn Cupcakes
MAKES 24 | LEVEL: BEGINNER
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Inspired by the Bubble Room’s Red Velvet Cake, these cupcakes will be hit as part of your Thanksgiving dessert lineup, or any time of year.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (1 Tablespoon white vinegar with enough whole milk added to equal 1 cup)
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup (two 1 oz. bottles) red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 large eggs
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, sugar, and cocoa powder.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer on low speed, mix buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla, red food coloring, white vinegar and eggs. - Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined, and increase speed to medium. Beat for 5 minutes.
- Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners. Fill each liner about halfway with batter.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
- Beat together the butter and cream cheese.
- Slowly add the confectioners sugar and incorporate, a little at a time until completely blended. Add the vanilla and mix.
- Frost the cupcakes with a knife, or using a pastry bag and large tip.
- Decorate the top with chocolate sprinkles and/or edible glitter. Then top with a Hershey Kiss acorn, if desired (see below).
To make edible acorns, you will need:
34 Hershey kisses, unwrapped
24 Reese’s peanut butter chips
A few dabs of frosting to use as glue
24 mini Nilla Wafers
- Using the frosting as your glue, attach one peanut butter chip to the top of each mini Nilla Wafer.
- Then using another dab of frosting, attach each Nilla Wafer to the bottom (flat side) of a Hershey kiss. Allow to dry.
Pro tip:
Make the acorns a day or a few hours ahead, and have them ready to go before you frost the cupcakes.