Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

THEY ARE FINALLY HERE and just in time for Valentine's Day!! The cupcakes are freshly decorated and last time I looked there were only a few left. They won't last long at your place either.

I cannot take credit for the recipe but I have tried many a red velvet cupcake recipe and found the one featured on Joy of Baking to be the best yet. My advice though would be to add 2 tbsp of red food coloring vs just the 1 tbsp as stated in the recipe.

For the icing, I did not use the one shown in the Joy of Baking Red Velvet link. Instead I opted for a basic cream cheese icing I use to frost anything from carrot cake to banana bread.

I snapped a few photos along the way!

Red food coloring being added to the buttermilk

Makes a nice and fluffy batter.
TIP: Make sure you really blend all the ingredients together
well before filling cupcake liners otherwise you will run the risk of a marbled affect
where you will see red cake streaked with cocoa lines.

Fresh out of the oven!

Cooled and ready to be frosted

The final result !

Here is the link to the Joy of Baking Red Velvet Recipe. Icing recipe below.

ICING:

1/2 cup cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups icing sugar (ensure you sift this to avoid grainy frosting)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

With hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy ( 2 min, medium speed)
Add butter and whip 1 min, medium speed
Add icing sugar and vanilla. Mix until well blended

Fill piping bag with whatever tip you choose and pipe away !