Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Red Velvet Cupcakes! (Valentines Day Edition)

 Many believe that the name "Red Velvet" comes from the naturally reddish hue of cocoa powder, which is enhanced by a chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda. Today, most versions rely on food color or beet juice to achieve this vivid shade. I used red food coloring paste*- or rather Christmas red- in this recipe (which you can get at Michaels for around 2$).

*Note: this is not your typical red food DYE you buy at the grocery store.

 

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups           Cake flour (not self rising), sifted twice
2 Tbls.                       Unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp.                          Salt
1 and 1/2 cups           Sugar
1 and 1/2 cups           Vegetable oil
2                                 Eggs (large), room temp.
1/2 tsp.                       Red food color gel-paste (Red-red OR Christmas red)
1 tsp.                         Pure vanilla extract
1 cup                         Buttermilk
1 and 1/2 tsp.            Baking soda
2 tsp.                         Distilled white vinegar

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 and line standard muffin tins with paper liners. In bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt. In an electric mixer with whisk on medium high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides when needed (make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl directly under the whisk tip to get accumulated sugar). Mix in food color and vanilla. Slow down the speed on the mixer and add flour in three batches alternating with two editions of buttermilk. Whisk SUPER good after each incorporation. In a little bowl, mix together baking soda and vinegar (It will foam up so don't freak out). Add the mixture to the batter and mix for about 10 seconds until incorporated (make sure to scrape the bottom of the baking soda bowl because it will not all come out and you NEED all of it). Divide batter evenly between the lined cups filling them about three quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes (Watch them explode as they bake if you are an oven-percher like me). Test middle cupcake with toothpick and make sure it comes out clean before you take them out of the oven. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup             Unsalted butter, room temp.
12 oz.            Cream cheese, room temp
4 cups           Powdered sugar
3/4 tsp.         Pure vanilla extract

Method:

With an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar in four batches (mixing well after each addition). Whisk in vanilla. AAAAAANND done.

*Makes 24 cupcakes