Red Hot Velvet Ice Cream Cupcakes {with Goldschlager}

Today, I'm entering the 2012 Ice Cream Cupcake Contest sponsored by two amazing blogs: Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious.   There is some very stiff competition this year, but I'm excited to try my hand at this type of cupcake...Always keeping in typical BIWB fashion, of course.  So, you know there's gonna be some booze in these my friends...

And, let us not forget to mention that my excitement is almost uncontrollable because I get to bake red velvet cupcakes with red hots and Goldschlager!!!!  I mean, really, how bad can that be for this girl?

These cupcakes are based on the traditional Southern cake: Red Velvet.  It's an interesting recipe, which is described as a vanilla cake with a hint of cocoa and a bright red color.  There's a bit of a KICK to these racey red lovelies with the addition of Goldshlager, a cinnamon schnapps. 

I've made this cake a few times and have tried a few different approaches.  I find that using all oil for the cupcake version really does give the cupcake more body and great texture.  For a cake, though, I think I will always stick with the 1/2 butter and 1/2 oil approach.  Just seems to hold up to frosting and give a great crumb.

I didn't use all the red food coloring that some recipes call for as I find too much gives a funky food colory flavor, while too little just makes the cupcake look kinda flat. 

And, who wants a flat cupcake? 

These are super easy to make and assemble.  Really.  Trust me.  I wouldn't have even attempted this otherwise.  

For the cinnamon L-U-V-E-R in all of us!  Gorge, yes?  And, the taste is BEEEYOND delish!!  Just sayin'.  :)

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Step-by-Step

Prepare your little bowls of dry ingredients, cocoa mixture and Goldschlager/buttermilk mixture.  Set aside at the ready.

Beat sugar and oil until light, about 1 minute.  Add the egg and beat well.  Mix in the cocoa mixture to the batter.  Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting with the flour.

In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar.  It'll get floamy and that's what you want.  Add this the batter and mix just to incorporate, finish mixing by hand.  I always do that last part as it seems to make for a lighter cupcake.

Fill the cupcake liners evenly.  I used a #16 scoop (2 oz) which is about 2/3 full. 

Bake as directed until they are springy and a toothpick comes out clean.  Lovely velvety cupcakes...All perky too! 

Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.  These little guys kept their height for which I am eternally grateful.

Combine the ice cream and crushed red hots.  It's okay, you can sneak some, really it's okay.    Return to the freezer until you're ready to stuff those racey red cupcakes. 

Now, it's time to make the frosting.  This is my go-to frosting recipe where I modify the additions.  I trust this approach now and rarely waiver.  The important thing is to not be afraid of the frosting.  Just try to keep the moisture in check and not too much sugar.  To start, cream the butter, milk, vanilla and Goldschlager in electric mixer (flat or wire beater) as directed until you get this kind of slurry emulsion.  You can add a drop of red food coloring if you like, or not.  

Slowly add sugar, with the motor going the whole time on low.  Beat until smooth, scrap along the way.  Please don't be afaid if you think it's too dry. 

Increase speed to medium and beat for a minute until it really comes together.  Add the corn syrup in increments, as directed, until you get it just the way you like it.  I find that corn syrup is a lot easy to handle than adding more liquid.  It just seems to work much better and I'm sticking to this method FOREVER.  And, EVER. 

Add the crushed red hots.  Beautiful.  Increase to medium high and beat for about 1 minute until fluffy.  Keep this cool until ready to use.

Okay, so now it's cupcake assembly time!  Remove the core using any method you have on hand.  Set the cores aside and crumble up a few for topping and set aside. 

Freeze the cored cupcakes for at least 15 minutes.  Otherwise, when you fill with the ice cream, it will melt into the cupcake.  Trust me on this...

Fill the hole with the super yummy red hots ice cream.  Be careful not to crush your cupcake.  :)  Then return those lovelies to the freezer until set.   I did this while I made the frosting...

Frost the cupcake with the Red Hots Buttercream and sprinkle a few cupcake crumbs on top! 

Freeze until ready to eat, letting those gorgeous red velvety red hot filled cupcakes with wickedly cinnamonny frosting set out a few minutes to soften.  Need I say more?

Red Hot Velvet Ice Cream Cupcakes {with Goldschlager}

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp red food coloring

1 1/2 tsp water

1/4 cup Goldschlager (cinnamon schnapps)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Red Hots Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream (slightly soft)

1 tbsp crushed red hots (I used my mini-chopper)

Red Hots Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp milk or cream

1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp Goldshlager (optional)

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Corn syrup

1 tbsp crushed red hots (I used my mini-chopper)

Cupcake crumbs for garnish

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake pan with 12 liners.

2. In a bowl, mix flour and salt and set aside. 

3. In a small bowl, mix cocoa, vanilla, food coloring and water, mix to combine and set aside.

4. In a measuring cup, combine the Goldschlager and buttermilk.

4. Beat sugar and oil until light, about 1 minute.  Add the egg and beat well.  Mix in the cocoa mixture to the batter.

5. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.

6. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar.  Add to the batter and mix just to incorporate.  Finish mixing by hand.

7. Fill the cupcake liners evenly and bake for 16-18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

8.  Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.

Red Hots Ice Cream

Combine the ice cream and crushed red hots.  Return to the freezer to let harden a bit until ready to fill the cupcakes.

Red Hots Buttercream Frosting
1. Cream the butter, milk, vanilla and Goldschlager in electric mixer (flat or wire beater) on low for 1-2 minutes until creamy and almost emulsified. 

2.  Slowly add sugar and beat until smooth, scrap along the way, increasing speed to medium. 

3.  Add 1 tbsp corn syrup in increments until you get the spreading/piping consistency that you like.   

4.  Add the crushed red hots. 

5.  Increase to medium high and beat for about 1 minute until fluffy. 

6.  Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.

To Assemble the Cupcake

1. Remove a core from the cupcake using a corer or cutting out a hole.  Freeze for at least 15 minutes.  Crumble some of the cores to make crumbs and set aside.

2. Remove cupcakes and ice cream from the freezer.  Place the ice cream in the cored hole using a teaspoon or very small scoop.   Return to the freezer until set.  (You can do this part while you make the frosting.)

3. Frost the cupcake with the Red Hots Buttercream

4. Sprinkle a few cupcake crumbs on top.  Freeze until ready to eat.

5.  Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.

We all know I have plenty of this...And, yes, when I waited a bit longer the middle was perfect.  Just not in time for this post...   ;-D

Ellen

P.S. Oh, and I get these cook's treats to munch on after dinner!  Lucky me.