Although I really don’t enjoy the color pink or anything overly mushy, I am a huge fan of any time of the year that I can buy candy in bulk. Even more so, the times of the year that bakeries tend to offer even more cute pastries and cakes are the times that I show up at a friend’s room exclaiming, “let’s share deserts”. One of my childhood friends has always had a particular affinity for red velvet cake, and so because of its color and obvious deliciousness, here’s the recipe!
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Yields: 24 cupcakes
Ingredients For the Cupcakes:
1. 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
2. 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1 1/2 cups sugar
5. 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
6. 2 large eggs, room temperature
7. 1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color (2 tablespoons regular food color)
8. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9. 1 cup buttermilk
Ingredients For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2. 3 cups powdered sugar
3. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and oil on medium-high speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and beating until combined after each.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and vinegar (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed until combined, about 10 seconds.
6. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer muffin pan to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
7. To make the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar then beat until combined.
8. Place frosting into a large decorators decorating bag fitted with the 1M decorating tip and approximately 1/4″ above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface, pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward.
9. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
*Thanks to Sweet Pea’s Kitchen*