Red Velvet Cupcakes

Valentine’s Day is upon us – the perfect occasion for decadent treats.  These Red Velvet Cupcakes definitely fit the bill – moist and full of flavor, it’s hard to eat just one.  Now, I realize that there are some red velvet cupcakes that aren’t red and many of those recipes are really good, but how fun can a brown red velvet cupcake really be?!

As a side note, I’m really pleased with how well the frosting looks on a few of the cupcakes  - for some reason I have the hardest time frosting baked goods, they rarely look good in photos!  I got lucky this time – good motivation to keep working on my frosting skills.

Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1  1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line 2 (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 of an electric mixer, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.  Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins – fill each cup 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:

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 very light and fluffy.  To add a little color, I sprinkled some of the cupcake crumbs on top of the cream cheese frosting.

Red Velvet Cake

According to legend red velvet cake was invented in the 1950s at Oscar's in New York's Waldorf-Astoria. However, Raven Dennis of Cake Man Raven Confectionary claims red velvet cake originated during the Civil War, and that southern ladies made it "to keep their husbands home."

MAKES ONE 8" CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

FOR THE FROSTING:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8" round cake pans. Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

2. For the frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

3. Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate; spread one-quarter of the frosting on top. Set another layer on top and repeat frosting. Set remaining layer on top and frost top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press pecans into the sides of the cake. Chill for 2 hours to set frosting, if you like.

Margarita Cupcakes

1/4 cup lime juice

1 1/2 tsp lime zest (1 lime)

1 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp tequila

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.

In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, milk, oil, tequila, vanilla and sugar.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to lime mixture and stir until just combined. Divide evenly into muffin tins.

Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting - Makes about 3 cups icing

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  2 tablespoons key lime juice
1 teaspoon key lime zest or lemon zest
4-5 cups confectioner's sugar

In large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, juice and zest with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time; continue beating until light and fluffy.
If icing is too thin add additional confectioner's sugar 1 tablespoon at a time

Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 cupcakes.
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpouse flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups grated carrots, around 4 medium carrots
¼ cup pecans, chopped


Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
¼ cup maple syrup
6 pecans, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line with muffin tin for 12 cupcakes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and oil until combined. Add the eggs one by one and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.

Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix. Add the grated carrots and pecans.

Divide the batter between the muffin pans and bake for around 14 minutes or until golden brown and springy to touch. Allow to cool.

For the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and maple syrup until smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with the pecan halves.