Red Velvet Cupcakes

I made Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting for a work BBQ and for our Civil War weekend.  It all worked out surprisingly well.  I was planning on doing all my baking Wednesday night, then packing up Thursday to drive down to Heber for the Civil War.  Then they announced a work BBQ for Thursday, so what's another few cupcakes to add to my Wednesday baking list.  For the Civil War dance I made 80+ chocolate dipped marshmallows, 100+ red velvet cupcakes, and 75+ chocolate dipped shortbread cookies; red, white, and blue of course.  The numbers are not exact because my husband and father did some quality control work on them before they left the house.  I love my job.  We have occasional BBQs and a birthday party every month.  Then sometimes during meetings we get donuts.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (24 - 30)

This is a three bowl recipe.  

Bowl # 1

1 cup Buttermilk

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 tsp Vinegar

2 Tbs (1 oz) Red Food Coloring

Bowl # 2

1 cup butter (2 sticks) at room temperature or softened

1 and 1/2 cup sugar

Cream together butter and sugar.

4 eggs

Mix together

Bow # 3

2 and 2/3 cup flour

2 Tbs cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to the butter/sugar/eggs mixture.  Scoop batter into cupcake wrappers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I used my red with white poka-dot cupcake wrappers.  I have a thing for cupcake wrappers lately.  Every time I see them I have to buy a one.  I don't have a problem.  I can quit anytime.  They are just so bright and colorful and represent yummy cupcakes and other treats they make me happy.  

Here is Geri enjoying one of the cupcakes at work.  I was quite happy that they were all gone by 4:30.  Normally I have to bring home the extras, but this one must have been really good because they were finished off before 5:00.

Here is the final table at our Civil War Dance on Friday night Sept 28th.

I made full sized cupcakes for the work BBQ and minis for the dance.  Dad let me borrow the silver serving trays on pain of death.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature or softened

2 cups, two 8 oz packages, or one 16 oz package of softened cream cheese

8 cups (2 lbs) powdered sugar

a few Tbs of Heavy Whipping Cream for consistency.  

Whip it, whip it good, then store in the fridge.