Birthday Red Velvet Cupcakes!!!

I have a small confession to make. I bake, I photograph, usually I bake again, and photograph again (something separately delicious) and then I take forever to blog. I have never been good at the getting to the blog part, so I apologize and promise to work on this. If Erin could do it with two kiddos, then so can I! Right? :)

Last Friday night was my girlfriend Megan's birthday. We had a party for her at our favorite pizza place here in town. I was very excited because even though she's never actually said it, I knew Red Velvet Cupcakes are her absolute favorites. It made my cupcake choice this week very easy.

I have never made Red Velvet Cupcakes before, and have really only eaten them from Sprinkles Cupcakes. Yes, THE Sprinkles Cupcakes (in CA we are semi-used to them, out here in AL they are an icon to cupcake people, LOL.) I have to admit it, again, they call her Martha Stewart for a reason. These were by far the best Red Velvet Cupcakes I have ever had...and the best part!?!?! I made them!! You should too!

Red Velvet Cupcakes (pg. 30)
Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Cream-Cheese Frosting
     1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
     12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
     1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
     3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions for Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incoporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

 Mix in food color and vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low add flower mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

 4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins half way through, until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

 5. To finish use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

I have to insert a blurb about Martha's Cream-Cheese frosting. It was nothing short of amazing! I have made several cream-cheese frostings, purchased it, and NOTHING has come close to being as good as this recipe. It will be my go to for cream-cheese from here on out. I only made a half batch for this recipe and it turned out to be the perfect amount.

Cream-Cheese Frosting Instructions:
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and then vanilla, and them mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

The cupcakes were simple enough and tasted AMAZING. I was surprised at the fact that there was no butter in them, and the oil/sugar mixture was a new one. It seemed very weird when I was mixing it but it was delicious!! I will be making these cupcakes again and again I just know it!

Because it was Megan's birthday I wanted to make these cupcakes extra special. So I rolled out some fondant and decorated them in a happy birthday fashion :) Here's my birthday version of Martha's Red Velvet Cupcakes.

And here's a shot of all of us ladies enjoying Megan's birthday celebration and the Cupcake Love!

Up next? Tieramisu Cupcakes for my friend Treva. :) Can't wait to try those!