RED VELVET CUPCAKES (AND, BLUE ONES, TOO)

the first time i tried a red velvet, i thought i was in heaven...the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting and the subtle touch of cocoa. red velvet cupcakes have been on my list for awhile of things to make, so when an occasion lent itself...i had to take the opportunity. one of my co-workers just found out what the sex of her baby will be and i thought it'd be fun to make red and blue cupcakes. we have a little poll going on at work and it's dead even between girl v. boy guesses, so for the big reveal on monday morning, i wanted to present her with the appropriate color and the guesser their coordinating cupcake. so, among many recipes on the web, i found this recipe through foodgawker.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
posted on the urban spork on february 11, 2010


CUPCAKES

• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 1 t cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1 c buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 2 T red food coloring
• 1 t white distilled vinegar
• 1 t vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350°F. line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake papers.

in a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

in a large bowl, gently beat together the oil buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. **i mixed everything except the food coloring, so i could have one batch of red and one batch of blue mix.

add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. **i split the batter in half and mixed in the food colorings into the separate bowls.

divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins and fill each about 2/3 of the way.

bake in the oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, halfway through the cooking. test the cupcakes with a toothpick to ensure they are done. remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

• 1 lb (two 8 oz. packs) cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 4 c sifted confectioners' sugar

in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until smooth.

add the sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. increase the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy. **i used half the amount of ingredients and it was the perfect amount for two dozen. if you plan on piping the frosting, then the full ingredients are recommended.