You're listening to Food Delight - The show for all you foodish out there

A: Hi, guys! Welcome to VOV24/7’s Food Delight with recipes and cooking tips. we’re Ngoc Huyen and Phuong Khanh.

B: Hey, Huyen, why are you choosing such romantic music for today’s show?

A: To match the recipe for a lovely cake: Red velvet cup cake.

B: Its name is so lovely and romantic: Red velvet cup cake. And the smooth, chocolate sponge cake smothered with rich butter cream icing is so appealing.

A: Today we will share with you a recipe for red velvet cup cake from food blogger Phan Anh Esheep.

"A typical red velvet cake must have the sweet flavor of chocolate, the sourness of raspberry, and sweet cream cheese frosting. The sponge cake is light and soft. It has several layers. When you take a bite, you will taste all the flavors supporting each other. A red velvet cake has 3 parts: the frosting, the filling or raspberry sauce, and the sponge cake. We prepare them in that order. Why? Because it takes time for the raspberry sauce to cool down before we put it into the cake, and the frosting needs to be put into the fridge to firm up before we spread it on the cake".

Food blogger Phan Anh Esheep. Photo: Phan Anh's official FB

A: It’s a painstaking process to make this cake. Let’s start with the ingredient list. It’s a bit long and I suggest you find a pen and some paper to write it down.

B:  You need: 225 g cream cheese at room temperature, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 100 g confectioner’s sugar, and 300 ml whipping cream to make the cream cheese frosting.

A: For the cupcakes you need: 220 g cake flour and 30 gram corn flour, a quarter of a teaspoon baking powder, half a teaspoon salt, 20 grams cocoa powder and a quarter teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

B: You also need 110 g unsalted butter at room temperature, 150 g granulated white sugar, 2 large eggs, 140 ml buttermilk, 100 ml yogurt, 20 ml red food coloring, a quarter teaspoon white distilled vinegar, and a quarter teaspoon baking soda.

A: And finally, for the raspberry sauce, you need: 150g fresh raspberries, 3 tablespoons refined granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon corn flour, and 120 ml water.

A: Let’s start with the cake’s frosting, which is really what cupcakes are all about. First, use an electric mixer to beat 50ml whipping cream until smooth, then add vanilla and sugar and continue to mix until it’s stiff.

B: Next, use the electric mixer to beat the remaining 250ml whipping cream until stiff. Slowly add the whipping cream to the cream cheese, mixing well. Put the mixture into frosting bags, and put in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until it’s firm enough to spread on the cake.

A: It’s not as easy as you think. If you spend too much time mixing, it will turn thin and running. Phan Anh describes how to do it properly: "Start with the mixture level and begin tipping the mixture in one direction. Mix at the center and gently spin out. Mix on the edge and then move back inside. Move your arm wide and then hit the center of the bowl. Keep mixing until it turns moist and soft.  This step is not as easy as it seems. Every 30 seconds, stop the mixer and add more sugar and vanilla before turning  the mixer back on".

B: Up next is how to make the raspberry sauce cake filling "Here are our fresh raspberries and a small pan. Pour all the ingredients for the  raspberry sauce into the pan, including the fresh raspberries, the refined granulated sugar, the corn flour, and the water, in that order. Stir to dissolve the corn flour. Don’t forget to taste".

A: Cook over medium heat until the raspberries are soft and the corn flour is cooked. Then turn down the heat, and cook for 5 more minutes until the mixture is melted. Remove from heat and wait until the mixture is completely cooled. Then pour the mixture into frosting and put them in the fridge.

B: Preheat your oven to 175 degree C and line two 6-muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, corn flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

A: In the bowl of your electric mixer, blend the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

B: Add red food coloring into the mixture of buttermilk and yogurt and mix well. 

A: Next, in a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Then divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and smooth the tops with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

B: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. When they are cooked, cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove them from the pan! Let then cool completely before frosting.

A: Don’t forget the raspberry sauce cake filling. Carefully cut a small piece out of the top of each cupcake. Take the frosting bags of raspberry sauce from the fridge, and pump sauce into each cake. Then carefully replace the cut-out pieces and top with cream cheese frosting.

Red velvet cupcakes (Photo: www.joyofbaking.com)

A: Now you’ve got 12 luscious red velvet cupcakes with lovely swirls of cream cheese frosting. Good bye ! We hope to see you next time on Food Delight.