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Red Velvet Cupcakes

with white chocolate cream cheese frosting

Is it me or is everyone CRAZY about red velvet?! How could you not be, right? I mean it's a smooth and rich cake with that classic cream cheese icing. It's hard to find a really good REAL red velvet cake though. Many bakeries tend to just go crazy with the bright red flavor and it lacks that hint of chocolate. The best red velvet cakes I've actually every had, have been from local supermarket bakery sections.

For those of you who think the boxed cake mix for red velvet is amazing, wait until you try this recipe. Many might think that red velvet is too much of a process, but its really not all that bad. And the end result is well worth it!

I also amped up the frosting by adding white chocolate to it. The white chocolate with the tangy cream cheese just makes it that much better. It's my favorite frosting, ever. I save any left over and just eat it plain i love it that much!

The holidays are coming up and these red velvet cupcakes will be perfectly festive. You could get fancy with some holiday decorations or festive sprinkles. Go ahead and give these a try, they won't last long!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. 
3. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. 
5. Then add the eggs, one at a time.
6. Followed by the vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
7. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix until well combined, then half of the buttermilk.
8. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, and mix until well combined, scrape down the bowl with a spatula to get everything mixed in.
9. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. It is supposed to fizz.
10. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine.
11. Fill cupcake cups with about 3/4 full.  
12. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until toothpick comes out clean(mine were finished baking at around 18 minutes).
13. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. 

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 8oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature.
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 a cup), at room temperature.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4oz white chocolate
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

1. To melt the chocolate: break into small even pieces and place in a microwave safe dish. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Remain heating at 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Let cool for a few minutes.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the the cream cheese and butter together until combined, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate.
4. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix to incorporate.
5. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time through a sifter, and mix until well combined. Add the amount of your liking. I generally add 3 cups so its no overly sweet.
6. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

some of them I smoothed the frosting on and rolled in sprinkles :)

ENJOY!