Week Three: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Welcome to Week Three with fabulous Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with delicious Cream Cheese Frosting.

I mixed two different recipes together from The Big Book of Cupcakes to get this perfect combination.

So, I brought these cupcakes into school for a party and everyone loved them, myself included. The amount of icing on top was perfect to the amount of cake. You can use whatever type of liners you want. I tried to use these fancy ones with some black lace but I didn't have enough...

Some tips:

For coloring the cupcake, you should use a gel paste food coloring. It's brighter than a paste or a liquid food coloring and you don't have to use as much. I got a regular box of the four basic colors from my nearest Micheal's store, they were gel and the red color came out perfectly. It says in the recipe to use a whole bottle, I didn't. I probably used a third. You should also remember that the cocoa powder will darken the cake, and also baking will too. Also, using a gel food coloring doesn't change the consistency of the cake like a paste or a liquid will.

Here are the ingredients for the cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3-1 bottle (1 oz.) of red food color (2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake pans.
2. In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together. Once combined, add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat 1-2 minutes until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla and food coloring.
5. On low speed, alternatively add flour mixture (1/3 at a time) and the buttermilk (1/2 at a time).
6. Beat in baking soda and vinegar until blended.
7. Fill cupcake liners (about 2/3 full).
8. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let cool, frost and enjoy!

Frosting Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) softened cream cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 teaspoons milk
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Cream the butter an cream cheese until combined.
2. Add in the vanilla and 2 teaspoons milk. Beat until combined.
3. Add in sugar one cup at a time.
4. Gradually beat in just enough milk to make frosting smooth and creamy.
5. Frost and enjoy!

Garnish:

Just a bit of dark sugar pearls.

Sprinkle those over your frosted cupcakes as you wish and enjoy!

Thanks for baking with me!

-Laura