Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh sweet, sweet red velvet, you are my weakness. Not only is it delicious, but it comes with cream cheese frosting. I could eat cream cheese frosting with a spoon, so the combo of the two make Laura a happy lady. Red velvet just makes me feel fancy. It's perfect for weddings, birthdays, showers, wednesdays. Hey, Wednesdays need to feel special too. 

This is my mom's recipe so I can't claim it as my own. I have baked these several times and it's always a hit. She's got the special touch when it comes to red velvet. You will use a lot of bowls and there are lots of steps, but it's not difficult and I promise it's worth it. 

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter- room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces red food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 bars cream cheese

1 stick butter

3- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Mix the butter and sugar together for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa and the red food coloring. It takes a bit for it to mix all together, but it gets there I swear. Add the cocoa mixture to the butter/sugar then mix.

In another separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Tip: If you don't have a sifter, use a whisk and stir through the flour mix thoroughly. Sifter is better, but a whisk will work in a pinch.

Add the flour mix to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Add the vanilla and mix all together.

In a separate small bowl (I know, I know, another separate bowl. I never promised this would be clean and easy) stir the baking soda and the vinegar together and add to the batter. Mix all together until just combined.

Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then move to a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.

Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. (Mix the powdered sugar on low otherwise you will be wearing it. I may know this from experience, just sayin)

Add the vanilla and salt to the frosting and mix on medium to high until creamy. Taste it to see if it needs more powdered sugar for sweetness/thickness. Taste again. Better taste again. Taste one more time just to be sure. Sorry, cream cheese frosting is my weakness.

Tips: Cake Four vs. All Purpose Flour. The difference is in the protein content. Cake flour has a lower protein content which makes a cake lighter and fluffier. If you don't have cake flour, don't panic. All purpose flour will absolutely work and your cake will still taste delicious. 

Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk sitting in your fridge, you can make your own! Take 1 cup milk and add 4 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar. Mix and let sit for a bit until it starts curdling. Voila, homemade buttermilk.

If you make a full size cake with this recipe, bake 23-25 minutes and for mini cupcakes bake 10-12 minutes. The toothpick trick will be the best test for when to take the cake or cupcakes out of the oven.