Red Velvet Cupcakes

I've only made red velvet cupcakes from scratch like once...back when I lived with my parents...so that was quite a long time ago. And I don't remember it being that great. But then again, I didn't have a mixer, I don't know where I got the recipe from, and...I don't even remember. Hahah. I had bought some cream cheese for some cream cheese frosting for the lemon cake that I made, but ended up using a buttercream frosting instead. So, I needed to make something else that used cream cheese so I don't waste it. Red velvet is actually my favorite flavor at Sprinkles. Hope these taste just as delicious! This recipe is from my Martha Stewart's Cupcake book..I looked up on the internet a bunch of recipes, usually to look at the difference in ingredients and I found that this recipe does not have any butter and uses a distilled white vinegar instead of cider vinegar which other recipes do. I'm not sure how the difference affects end product so perhaps I'll have to make red velvet cupcakes again using a different recipe and see how they taste and turn out! sorry I'm a horrible writer, I have horrible run on sentences..forgive me..that's why I like to beat people up normally and bake on the side, and not a writer :)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

With electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Mix in food color and vanilla.

Look at the pretty color!

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam), add to the batter and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each with 3/4 full.

Bake, rotating tins halfway, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Red velvet is using accompanied by a cream cheese frosting. I used the recipe from the same Martha Stewart's Cupcake book.

I piped the frosting using a piping bag and a large round tip. Then I threw some red sugar crystals on it. It all turned out better than I thought. And it's delicious!! Super moist!!!! YYAYERRRRR!!! Look!

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Red Velvet Cupcakes
-2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
-2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
-2 large eggs, room temperature
-1/2 teaspoon red gel paste food color
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1 cup buttermilk
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
-2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
-1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
-12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
-1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
-3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

with an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then vanilla and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl if needed. Use immediately, if not, can be stored refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth again.