Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Buttercream Frosting

Youngest son's 18th birthday is tomorrow and we had his birthday dinner tonight at home to celebrate......a day early. Rather than making a birthday cake I decided on cupcakes for this year. I've enjoyed the few times I've made cupcakes recently. This Red Velvet Cake recipe is adapted from The Confetti Cookbook and this is a scaled down version to make just a dozen cupcakes.......perfect amount vs. 3 dozen!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS


1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa (not Dutch-process)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ounce (2T) red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put paper liners in a 12 count muffin tin.

2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in the egg. With machine on low add red food coloring. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

5. Divide batter evenly about 2/3 way full in muffin tin. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Slightly cool before removing from tin and cool completely before frosting.



WHITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
From May 2008 Food and Wine Magazine

INGREDIENTS


6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream*
*used Half and Half

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes and top as desired.


Rainy day boredom:

YUMMY!