In this recipe I am going to show you how to make a moist red velvet cupcake recipe without buttermilk in a few simple steps.  Red velvet cupcakes have a slight chocolate taste because of the cocoa powder added to them.  They get their lovely dark red colour from the red food colouring

I use red food colouring paste to colour my cakes because the liquid just does not work for me.  The first time I tried baking red velvet cakes or cupcakes I used about 2 tablespoons of red liquid food colouring but when the cake came out of the oven it had no traces of red at all.

Some people do use food colouring liquid and it gives them great results in their red velvet cakes but I have not come across that kind yet.

Ingredients

• 150 grams self raising flour
• 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, sifted to remove lumps
• 160 grams caster sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 60 grams vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120 ml milk with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice added to it (mix together and leave to one side for at least 5 minutes)
• 1/4 teaspoon red food colouring paste
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

• Preheat your oven to 175 Celsius
• Line your cupcake tray with cupcake liners
• Mix all the dry ingredients together
• Put the vegetable oil, milk, egg and vanilla extract in a jug and mix
• Add the red food colouring and mix well
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well until smooth
• Finally add the bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice and mix well
• Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases
• Bake in the oven for oven for 15-18 minutes. Test with a cake tester, if it comes out clean they are ready
• Put them on a cooling rack to cool completely

Decorate with butter icing or cream cheese icing.