Foodie Chickie

Red Velvet cupcakes are not my friend. They're my entry for this month's
Weekend Cook Book Challenge: Red & White Foods, hosted by Sara. I thought they were a perfect fit since today is the Fourth of July and red and white foods are popular today. So I that is why made them today instead of on a weekend. The Red Velvet cupcakes were very much of a challenge.

I tried two recipes and definitely liked the second one better. I'm not going to even link the first one. Although the second recipe did have its own challenges. Both recipes had many steps, but there was a procession line ease to them. Once the first batch was put in the oven they collapsed. I have no idea why. The second recipe made it through the baking process a bit better thankfully. I would have posted sooner, but I needed a break in between baking both recipes. Niel and I went to see the Nathan's hot dog eating contest on Coney Island(crowded!) for the first time and then had a BBQ at his mom's house. We had a nice time. Niel made some good bbq! After we came home we watched the Macy's Fireworks from our bedroom window. A yearly tradition we enjoy. I didn't want to take anymore time away from the day's plans because the recipes were a bit of struggle. Have I stated that enough? LOL.

Both recipes tasted fine. The first actually was too chocolaty for me and needed extra food coloring. The second recipe tasted more red velvety to me. It wasn't overwhelming. And I added a lot more food coloring to it. Two different kinds in fact. They were redder although didn't show up too well on film. Then I realized I added pink food coloring paste and not red. Arrgh.

Because both collapsed the first worse than the second the edges became hard. Sort of like a muffin. Niel said he liked the crunchy consistency though. The insides were very moist though. Niel took them too his office and everyone like them very much.

Veda's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from the Rachael Ray show


Ingredients

2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/4 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the oil, sugar and eggs until creamy. In a separate small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and food coloring, and stir. Once you have a thick paste, add it to the mixer.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt with a whisk and set aside.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the vanilla extract and buttermilk. Stir and set aside.

Add half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixer and stir on a low speed. Add half of the flour mixture and combine. Alternate this process with the remaining wet and dry ingredients. When all wet and dry ingredients have been combined in the mixer, fold in the baking soda and vinegar.

Line a mini muffin tray with mini muffin holders. Evenly distribute the batter among the cups. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

For the frosting:

In a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the sugar and continue mixing until there are no lumps. Add milk to thin if necessary.

Yields 96 mini cupcakes or 30 regular size cupcakes


Few photos by Niel