Red Velvet Cupcakes

So I know tomorrow's not Friday, but I'm going back to Ohio this weekend to take my sister to see Sugarland and Keith Urban in concert, and we also might buy a car this weekend! For those reasons, tomorrow has been deemed (by me) Cupcake Thursday!

I decided to go with Red Velvet cupcakes, from a few requests by all you crazies out there who get a kick out of what I bake, as well as a couple people from work. I had all of the ingredients handy, so it was pretty easy to make. I've just never understood the appeal of the red velvet cupcake, though. I know that must be some kind of cardinal cupcake sin, but it's just never really appealed to me--so much so that I have...never had a red velvet cupcake.

Have you seen this recipe?! Who would think that a crap-ton of red food dye, buttermilk, and VINEGAR would produce something edible?!

Well...it turns out that a crap-ton of red food dye, buttermilk, and vinegar actually tastes pretty darn good. Top it with a little cream cheese frosting, and you've got a downright tasty little treat!

This recipe is from the infamous Magnolia Bakery in NYC, courtesy of one of my favorite food blogs, http://www.alexandracooks.com/. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 2¼ cups (9¾ oz) sifted flour (sifted, then measured...seriously...do it)
  
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 cup buttermilk


• 2 tablespoon red food coloring (2 1-oz bottles)


• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1½ cups sugar
  
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 2 large eggs
  

Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened


• 8 oz butter, softened
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  
• 1-3 tsp milk
  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place liners in 12-cup cupcake pan.

Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition.

Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.Spoon batter into cupcake liners only 2/3 or ¾ of the way full—don’t be tempted to fill them higher: they’ll bake into mushroom caps instead of nice rounded domes, and if they are filled too high, there will not be enough batter for the 24 cupcakes.

Bake cakes until inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 23-26 minutes (Natalie here-again, my turbo charged oven tried to pull one over on me. My cupcakes took 18 minutes...so keep an eye out!). Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan onto racks; bake remaining cupcakes; cool all completely before frosting.

Frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth and combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Add milk until you get the consistency you like (this allows the frosting to harden a bit, and I-Natalie-added this ingredient. If you want creamy frosting without that little bite to it, just leave out the milk).

Okay back to me. I garnished with festive little bit of red sugar, just because I had it in the drawer. :) I'd also like to mention how ironic it is that I used organic butter and cage-free eggs in this oh-so-not-natural recipe! I got a good laugh out of that.

Enjoy your weekends everybody!