Red Velvet Cupcakes and a Surprise!

Hello everyone,

It has been way too long since I've had time to sit down and post a new blog entry. That's the life of a college student I guess. Anyways, I have been baking and cooking and baking away. My roommates have all started to hate me more and more because of how much I've been cooking in the kitchen just to let out all of my stress. I think they may be planning a coup to throw me out of the kitchen....uh oh. Their diets can wait another couple more weeks in my opinion. Summer is here and they want to look good in their swim suits and I get that, but I can't be the only one who looks terrible in my swim suit.

Anyways, this past weekend I had the BIGGEST craving for red velvet cupcakes ever. I wanted them so bad that I could already taste it. So, to satiate my craving, I made them. And boy, did I make them. I haven't had a red velvet cupcake quite like this one before. I almost cried because they were so yummy and moist and fluffy. And because they just look so darned cute all red and white and whatnot. I'm beginning to talk about cupcakes like I do about my little babies. Speaking of babies....I have to put up some of the pictures from the last couple of weeks. These kids are my little buddies. I can't imagine not having them around. Okay, so they're not exactly from the last couple weeks, it's more like the past couple months but in all fairness I haven't posted any baby pictures on here ever which means I need to start the baby love now.

These are when the twins were just a few months old and they were sound asleep in their little play crib. I miss these days when I could just stare at them as they slept.

This is my little buddy Hayden! Hi Hayden! Isn't he just the CUTEST!?

Um, first birthday cake? How precious!? I laughed. I cried. I wanted to hug them all day long and never let go. They're growing up too fast!

Twins!

Baby cuteness is just as good if not better than food goodness.

And I just could NOT resist putting this one in there. How adorable is he!? Also, let us take a minute to mourn the loss of such beautiful homemade hand decorated first birthday cakes. They were delicious and beautiful while they lasted.

Anyways, back to CUPCAKES! Here's the recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes with amazing mouthwatering delicious cream cheese frosting.


Ingredients:
For the cake:
2½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

For the Frosting:
1 stick regular (salted) butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 pound sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt to taste (to avoid over-sweetness)
 
Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.  Beat on medium speed until well blended.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.  Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using. In the words of Ina Garten,  "How easy was that!?"

 Mmmm, just looking at these pictures makes me long to have another one right in front of me right now. Too bad these babies didn't last very long.

Admire the beauty and simplicity of a red velvet cupcake. Also, the SURPRISE! I was just offered my first opportunity to bake a wedding cake! I am so beyond excited that I can't even adequately put it into words. I cannot wait to get started. Weddings make me so so so happy and to be able to make the cake for the happy couple just makes it even more exciting for me! Yay!


Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats and The Pioneer Woman

Happy Eating!

Jess