Red Velvet with Butter Cream Frosting

This moist cocoa cake has an alluring deep red hue, sharply contrasted by a white buttercream frosting... too tempting to ignore :)

Ingredients (makes 12 large muffins)
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powder sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
2 tbsp red food colouring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract

For Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter softened (not melted) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
3-4 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
up to 4 tbsp milk or cream

For Frosting
Beat butter for a few minutes in a mixer.
Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed, until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.
Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes.
If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar.
If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Refrigerate till you need it.

For Red Velvet
Preheat oven to 180˚C & line muffin pans with liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl & mix.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar & set aside to curdle.
Add the oil, food colouring, Vanilla extract & almond extract to the curdled soy milk. Whisk well to combine.
Gently fold dry ingredients into wet, mixing until large lumps disappear.
Do not over mix, or your cupcakes will turn out gummy - small lumps are okay.
Fill cupcake liners about three-quarters full as these cupcakes will rise fairly high.
Place in hot oven and bake 18-20 minutes until done, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes in the pan for five minutes, & then transfer to a cooling rack or surface to cool completely.
Do the frosting and enjoy :)

Tips

* You can avoid Red colour completely (then it will not be Red Velvet, but will taste same).
* You can add apple cider vinegar in place of white vinegar.
* If you have chocolate extract then add 1 tsp along with vanilla & almond.
* Don't increase the amount of almond extract (in any recipe), as it can make your cake bitter.
* Icing/frosting should be cold when you apply.
* Never apply frosting on a hot cake.