Hummingbird Bakery Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe (Adapted for High-Altitude) (2024)

FAQs

What is the big deal about red velvet cake? ›

While red velvet cake is technically a cocoa cake, there is a key difference between standard chocolate cake and red velvet cake. Chocolate cake recipes traditionally use Dutch-processed cocoa, while red velvet cake uses unprocessed cocoa, a more acidic ingredient that produces a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor.

My Must Have Cupcake Tip: Bake at an initial high heat.

Fill your cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake at 400 F for the first five minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350F for the remainder of the baking time. That first initial blast of heat will cause the tops of the cupcakes to puff up.

When bakers added vinegar, baking soda, or buttermilk to their recipes to tenderize the cakes, the acid in those ingredients reacted with the cocoa, which was not Dutch-processed, to give the cakes a red tint. That color became a signature of velvet cakes.

If your red-velvet cake was made from beet-dye or other food additives, a ruddy colored stool is possible. Some medications can change the color of your stool as well.

What flavor is red velvet? While there are cocoa undertones, red velvet is not chocolate cake because it balances both chocolate and vanilla flavors. It contains cocoa but not the same quantity as traditional chocolate cake, resulting in a more subtle cocoa flavor and tanginess due to the buttermilk and vinegar.

Temperature has a big effect on how your cupcakes and cakes will rise during baking. When your oven temperature is too high for the type of batter you are using, your cupcakes or cake will peak/dome and crack during baking.

As you can tell from the images, the cupcakes made from the gluten free flour rose far less than those made with the regular flour; they were flatter where as the others were domed.

Baking Powder

Baking powder is used in baked goods to increase volume and lighten the texture. Baking powder is made from baking soda (an alkali) and an acid. The acid, in most cases, is cream of tartar. Baking powder is used in almost all cake and cupcake recipes, as well as pancakes and cookies.

Although most red velvet cake recipes contain acidic ingredients such as buttermilk and cocoa, the addition of vinegar provides just a little extra acid to ensure the baking soda can do its best rising work.

The trick to using our Red Velvet Color when baking cakes and cupcakes is to lower the pH. Some ways to do this is by substituting baking powder in place of baking soda, using a natural non-alkalized cocoa powder, adding more white vinegar or buttermilk to your red velvet recipe, to achieve a bright red color.

Why does my red velvet cake not rise? ›

You need air to make anything fluffy. If a cake does not rise it means the air is not inculcated into it.. Using baking soda or powder will do the trick for cakes. If you did not put enough you might end up with flat cake.

Hummingbird Cupcakes are filled with bananas, crushed pineapple, spices, and pecans — or walnuts if you're not in the South — and then topped with a cream cheese frosting. Most people say it's called “hummingbird” cake because everyone hums in happiness like the tiny bird when they eat it!

To store hummingbird cupcakes, let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, individually wrap them and freeze for up to 2-3 months.

As a general rule, we recommend eating your cupcakes on the day of baking or within 24 hours for the best flavour, but they will last up to 2 days.

In recent history, red velvet cake has become synonymous with Juneteenth celebrations. Not only does the color red symbolize the bloodshed of the enslaved people who never experienced freedom, but it's also a symbol of strength and spiritual transformation in West African cultures.

Red velvet cake is a unique cake flavor that is known for its distinctive taste. It has a slightly tangy and slightly chocolatey flavor that is balanced out by the sweetness of the cake. The cake also has a subtle hint of vanilla, which adds a delicious aroma and flavor to the dessert.

The ingredient of cocoa would help break down the coarse flour. As a result, the flour was softer and the cake was velvety. Some people argue that the red color comes from a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction between the cocoa and acid give the cake it's red color.

People like red velvet cake over any other cake because it is made of Mild chocolate. A study revealed that when the cocoa powder and buttermilk are put together, they result in the red color of this cake. For the mild chocolate flavor, you only need to add two spoons of cocoa powder.