Our love filled life: Red Velvet Cupcakes

A lot of people are intimidated by making Red Velvet anything - and I have no idea why! If you break it down into these easy steps it is actually one of the simplest things to make. I've never once had a problem with this recipe - it is very reliable and turns out perfect every time!

A good Red Velvet cupcake should have a nice buttermilk and vanilla flavor. They should be moist, fluffy, have a light kiss of cocoa to them - and who could forget about the cream cheese frosting? If you walk into any cupcake bakery and ask what their most popular cupcake is, I almost guarentee they will say Red Velvet. There is just something so special about the deep red color of these cupcakes -It screams Romance to me!

I actually made these cupcakes for my sister-in-law for her birthday celebration on the weekend and I was quite entertained watching such a tiny person eat one cupcake after the other before dinner! I'm very happy that she enjoyed them!

If you'd like to try this recipe out here is everything you'll need:

Red Velvet Cupcakes

4 Tbsps of unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup of sugar

1 egg

3 Tbsps of unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsps of Red food coloring

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of buttermilk

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1 1/2 tsp of distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn your mixer on high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the cocoa, vanilla, and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure all of the batter gets color.

3. Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and salt and mix until well combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining buttermilk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

4. Mix baking soda and vinegar together in a separate dish. Turn you mixer on low and add it to your mixture. Then turn your mixer on high and beat for a few more minutes.

5. Spoon the batter into a cupcake lined baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:

2 1/3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

3 Tablespoons of butter, room temperature

4 oz of cream cheese

1 Tsp of vanilla extract

1. Beat the powdered sugar and butter together in a bowl on medium speed until it comes together. Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated. Beat for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

**Do not over mix because the frosting will become runny**