3 minute Red Velvet Cakes & Cupcakes – Easy Microwave version

A day prior to my son’s 1st birthday, after I was done preparing 4 dozen cupcakes for the party next day, my hubby announced he wanted a ‘proper’ cake for cutting. I was planning to decorate one of the cupcakes itself, but hubby would have none of that. I was either to make a proper cake or he’d order one, he announced.

Since everything else for the birthday party was being made at home (the list included, chocolate lollipops, mini heart-shaped pizzas and jelly), I did not want to order the cake and spoil the do-it-yourself mood I was in. Since I had lots of tasks lined up for D-day, I decided I wanted to make a simple and easy cake. I was racking my brains as I cleared up the mess I’d made while baking the cupcakes, when my eyes fell on the unused box of red food colouring I’d bought just-in-case I needed it for something and I thought why not prepare a Red Velvet Cake? Since this cake was for cutting and consumption by adults, I had no qualms in using the food colour. You could try using a tbsp of beet puree instead if you want to avoid using the food colour.

I used the typical MW chocolate cake recipe I prepare quite often and adjusted ingredients and proportions a bit to get this one. I topped the cake with a slab of chocolate moulded like a bear (I used a bear cake mould) and piped a big ‘1’ on it using vanilla buttercream icing. I also piped some simple designs on the side as well as along the borders using the star tip.

The cake was Red Velvet, topped with some vanilla buttercream icing, topped with a dark chocolate bear and chocolate icing designs. It looked kind of cute and tasted really really yummy! Very simple to make and fun to look at. Do try it.

Since I couldn’t take any good pictures of my cake, I prepared some Red Velvet Cupcakes and decorated them for this post. Sadly though, I added more cocoa and the red effect wasn’t so prominent. Anyway, I served them to my nephews and they enjoyed them immensely. I used the quantities mentioned below for the birthday cake and halved the quantities mentioned for the cupcakes and got 6 of them. I stuck some chocolate banners into them using toothpicks and some homemade chocolates that I’d made earlier.

Btw, these cupcakes was the third time I prepared them to get a picture. With my nephews always nosing around and wanting to help with prepararing the cakes each time and polishing them straight out of the oven, it was a humongous task for me to manage to take pictures!

These cupcakes are off to Valli’s month-long blogging marathon and I’ll be posting on occassion-special dishes this whole week.

RED VELVET CAKE – EASY MICROWAVE VERSION

Ingredients:
APF – 6 tbsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1/4 tsp
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
Red food colour – 1 tsp (see note 1)
Icing sugar – 10-12 tbsp
Melted butter – 2 tbsp
Curd – 1/4 cup
Milk – 1/4 cup

Method:
Sift together all the dry ingredients, except the food colour
Mix together all liquid ingredients. Add the food colour and mix well
Add wet mix to dry mix and beat well with a wire whisk
Grease a microwave safe bowl and dust it with icing sugar or APF
Pour the cake batter into the prepared container (make sure it is less than the halfway mark because this cake rises a LOT)
Micowave on high for 3 minutes and let the cake rest in the closed MW for a minute or two. If making cupcakes, microwave for 1.5 minutes and rest for 30 sec
Take out the bowl and inset a toothpick to check if it is fully cooked. Return to the MW for 30 seconds if it is undercooked
Let cool completele before demoulding. I was impatient and ended up with a broken cake that had to be repaired with icing

Decorating the Cake
Ingredients:
Butter (softened) – 1/4 cup
Icing Sugar – 1/2 cup (scant)
Milk – 1-2 tsp
Vanilla essence – a drop or two
Cocoa powder – 2 tsp
Cooking dark chocolate – 50 gm
Cake mould in any interesting shape smaller than your cake – I used a bear mould

Method:
Melt chocolate and pour into the mould. Shake the mould gently so that chocolate spreads evenly around the base. Set aside till it cools
Meanwhile, add icing sugar and vanilla essence to butter and beat well with a wooden spoon. Remove about a fourth of the icing. Add cocoa powder to this and beat well. Add 1 tsp of milk to the remaining vanilla buttercream and mix well. It should be in a spreadble consistency, so add milk accordingly
Spread the vanilla buttercream icing as evenly as you can over the cake. You can apply it to the sides or leave it as it is
Fill the chocolate buttercream icing into a small piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice (I used big star tip) and make small patters along the border and base of the cake
Demould the moulded chocolate and place carefully on top of the cake bang in the centre
Your cake’s ready!!!

Alternate Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

Icing sugar – 3/4 cup

Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp

Milk – 1 tbsp

Coloured sugar sprinkles

Method:

Mix icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk to get a thick pouring consistency

Pour over cupcakes when cool

Sprinkle colourful sugar pearls