Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mid-year resolution: don't forget to take pictures of what you will be doing a write-up for.

Update: My lovely wife (who also was the master decorator for these) was able to take some pictures.

I did a weekend of baking and as you have already seen with the various chocolate truffles, I totally miffed on taking pictures. As for the 3 types of cupcakes, I didn't even get one in, bah!

Forgive me, but here are the recipes nonetheless. Remember, all of these can be scaled for how every many you need.

The recipe below makes 2 dozen cupcakes.


Ingredients

Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp red gel food coloring (the gel stuff works way better at coloring than normal food coloring)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk and 1 tbs lemon juice will have the same effect)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp distilled white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz butter, unsalted and room temperature
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered), sifted
3/4 tsp vanilla extract


Directions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners. 
2. Whisk the sifted cake flour, cocoa, and salt together in a medium bowl. In your electric mixer (medium-high speed), whisk the sugar and oil together. Add the eggs in 1 at a time until incorporated. Add in the vanilla and gel food coloring.
3. Separate the dry mixture into 3 parts, and the buttermilk into 2 parts. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in the dry/buttermilk until well-combined. 
4. In a separate small bowl, react the baking soda and vinegar together and then quickly add the foam to the batter. Mix on medium for about 15 seconds to incorporate the bubbles.
5. Fill the cups in the pan 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes total, until a toothpick or fork comes out clean and rotate or change shelves in the oven halfway through.
6. Let cool before removing cupcakes. Frost with your frosting of choice, I have included my cream cheese frosting in this recipe. The cupcakes are good for about 2 days after making, or frozen for about a month. Obviously they will taste better if eaten within the day.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese together with a mixer on medium to high speed. The more room temperature the ingredients are, the easier and faster this will be, don't rush it and let things come to room temperature. Don't be like me and do as I say, not as I do... I am rather impatient.
2. Lower the speed to low, add 1 cup of sugar at a time until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla to taste. The frosting can be made ahead of time and is good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.