Red Velvet Cupcakes - Oh Yeah!

I love holiday desserts and this is one of my favorites. Any holiday will do; just decorate them accordingly; sprinkles, Halloween candies, valentine heart candies, Christmasy things. It all works.

The combination of Allison's red velvet cupcakes and my cream cheese icing is a real attention-getter. This is something you really *need* to have in your repertoire so bookmark this post... print it out... tuck it away in your recipe box. Whatever method that works for you and however you save your favorites. But either way, make these cupcakes!!!

Allison's Amazing Red Velvet Cupcakes (adapted from the NY Times Red Velvet Cake recipe)

1c cake flour

1/3c cocoa

1/2tsp salt

2/3c vegetable oil

3/4c sugar

1 egg

1oz (2T) red food coloring

1/2tsp vanilla

1/2c buttermilk

1/2tsp baking soda

3/4tsp white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 12-cupcake pans with cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.

Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring (and water or syrup, if necessary).

(Take care: it may splash.)

Add vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches.

Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running.

Beat for 10 seconds.

Divide batter among 12-cupcake pans, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Mine cooked for 27 minutes.)

Note: The recipe above has been scaled down to 1/3 of the original recipe. The original recipe yields 3 dozen cupcakes: 3½ cups cake flour ½ cup cocoa powder 1½ teaspoons salt 2 cups vegetable oil 2¼ cups white sugar 3 large eggs 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring 1½ teaspoons vanilla 1¼ cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons baking soda 2½ teaspoons white vinegar.

Magnificent Cream Cheese Icing;

1 8oz pkg of cream cheese - room temperature, divided in three parts

2 tablespoons unsalted butter - COLD

1 tablespoon shortening

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla and combine very well.

Add the first third of the cream cheese and combine very well.

Add the shortening and combine very well.

Add the remaining cream cheese one piece at a time, combining very well after each.

( you can add a bit more sugar if it's not quite sweet enough for you but then you may have to adjust the other ingredients a little if you want to use it to decorate.)

They are decadent, ENJOY!