Sleepless in the Kitchen -A love story.

Well it's twenty past one in the morning and although my six month old is fast asleep, I'm restless at best! While technically it's already Valentine's Day and I'm overwhelmed with excitement at the thought of what Cupid might have in store, I'm trying to keep my enthusiasm at bay. 

I'm still somewhat settling into new mommyhood and although any time I have to myself is usually now spent juggling cleaning the house, having a power shower, grabbing a few groceries and catching up on countless hours of missed sleep, tonight is different. Tonight, the kitchen is my sanctuary and I have been looking forward to this moment all day! 

My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary on Monday, so it's beginning to feel more like love week than day. We had a fabulous candle-lit dinner at home, complete with red roses and the music from our wedding ceremony playing in the background. We re-lived the memory of our  beautiful wedding day -the pictures, the stories and our favourite moments. It was truly romantic -a much appreciated moment just for the two of us and we enjoyed sharing every minute of it. I'm really grateful for that night and I know I will remember it forever.

For Valentine's Day I plan on keeping things a bit simpler, but equally blissful, and my nocturnal escape to the kitchen is where it all begins! While heart-shaped boxes of chocolates tied with pink ribbon are always appreciated, I'm going to keep this day as homemade as possible, beginning with decadent red velvet cupcakes. After all, who doesn't love red velvet cupcakes? I know no matter what mid-week chaos tomorrow brings, these little delights -seemingly delivered by Cupid, himself, will make the day special. 

The recipe is yours for the baking! Happy Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe

Courtesy of Hummingbird Bakery, London

Makes: 12

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

You will need

60g unsalted butter at room temperature

150g caster sugar

1 egg

20g cocoa powder

40ml red food colouring

½ tsp vanilla extract

120ml buttermilk

150g plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp white vinegar

For the frosting:

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 x 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with paper cases
125g cream cheese, cold

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

2. Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.

4. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make the frosting by beating the icing sugar the remaining 20g of the unsalted butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

6. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top.