RED VELVET MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Red Velvet Meringue Cupcakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 2h

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 3/4 cups cake flour (See Cook's Note)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch cream of tartar
Pinch fine salt
4 large egg whites

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and egg together in medium bowl.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a bowl comfortably without touching the water. Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites in the bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the water and whip with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak, about 7 minutes.
Spoon or pipe the frosting decoratively and generously on the cupcakes.