Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

I've never had red velvet before, at least not that I can recall.  It's become all the rage, or maybe it's just that it's all the rage and I'm just now paying attention.  On the most recent Cupcake Wars, one of the judges said something along the lines of, "I cannot stand another red velvet."  The next contestant, who'd made a red velvet, changed it up by using red wine instead of vinegar.

I made these for my son's preschool class.  I found these little heart shaped cupcake tins, and they are so cute.  That said, they are large.  The recipe I used makes 24, but it made about 17 in these tins.

I didn't really know how to pipe the frosting in a heart shape; they looked terrible when I piped in a heart shape.  They looked a lot better when I started to follow a circular pattern.

As far as the taste, they were pretty delicious.  Since I plan to send them into school, we had to take one of the duds, and they'll have to cut them in half as it is.  Even though it was a dud, and very underfilled so it was a little crisp, it was very tasty.  Delicious even, and I'm thinking about eating more and sending less into school.

The teachers don't need to eat cupcakes for Valentine's Day, right?????

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 20 minutes
For the Cupcakes:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons red food coloring
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin/cupcake pan with liners.
2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
8. To make the frosting: Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.
*Note: This recipe can be doubled to make an 8 or 9-inch layer cake.
(Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker, originally from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)