Red Velvet Revision Part II

I have written before that I was working on tweaking the red velvet cupcake recipe. It has morphed from following a red velvet cake recipe from www.foodnetwork.com and adding a Hershey's kiss to each one to creating my own recipe and piping chocolate ganache in the center. I am really happy with the current recipe that it got me thinking about how I started making this highly requested item.

The first batch was made because a former co-worker had such a bad day that I told him that I would bake him something to cheer him up. He asked for red velvet. I had never made red velvet before so I looked up recipes. I found one I liked and it didn't sound too difficult. I thought that red velvet was just a chocolate cake with red food coloring and cream cheese frosting, but I was very wrong. I noticed that the recipes didn't have a lot of chocolate, so I decided to add the Kiss in the middle.

When looking back on that first batch, they really weren't very good. The frosting was stringy cause of the melted marshmellows and the Kisses stuck to the bottom of the wrapper. The cake however had a really good flavor and the added chocolate was a nice surprise. Everyone at work liked them, but I knew I could do better. I had been working on bettering the recipe ever since.

Until now. The current recipe is great. The batter domes giving the cupcake a traditional shape, and I switched out the Hershey's Kiss for chocolate ganache. I still won't say the recipe is final since I will be going to pastry school in the fall and with my new knowledge the recipe may change yet again.

Cheesecake Wontons

I love these little guys. I first had them when my good friend and fellow culinary artist, Alison, made them for a catering event. She then made them again for my wedding shower. I wanted to eat the entire plate. I even have a photo of them hanging in my kitchen. Like I said, I love this dessert.

So when Brittany asked me to make some desserts for her engagement party, my mind instantly went to the cheesecake wontons. I gave her some other choices, like lemon squares and brownie bites with white chocolate buttercream filling, but in the end she chose the wontons. An excellent choice if I do say so myself.

Red Velvet Revision

After much deliberation, I decided to revise my red velvet cupcake recipe, or rather make it more my own. I love the flavor of the original recipe, but was disappointed by the lack of classic cupcake shape, ie no dome. After looking at other recipes, I found that all pretty much called for the same amount of flour, baking soda, vinegar, all things that would add to the fluffiness. However, some recipes called for baking powder, which mine did not. Knowing that baking powder would add height I decided to try it.

In addition to the dome effect I was after, I wanted to also try something new with the center. I took out the Hershey's Kiss and added chocolate ganache. I used a combination of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate in the ganache, then piped a small amount into each cupcake.

The overall reaction was a total hit. The ganache is definitely a keeper. The additional baking powder did give a little bit more fluffiness to the cupcakes, but they still did not dome like expected. I have some more ideas on how to get the perfect red velvet cupcake.

A Red Velvet Afternoon

Saturday marked a big day for Ryan and Sarah as well as for me. After figuring out the logistics of getting 250 red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to the outdoor reception location, and waiting an hour until someone who knew how the bride and groom wanted the tables and chairs setup, Kevin, my friend Taylor, and I got all 250 cupcakes onto one table in the shade. It was an great experience and I learned a lot. Mostly that I need another freezer and fridge and more counter space.

I really appreciate them trusting me to be part of their wedding.