RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Okay, here's the deal: I LOVE red velvet cake! That is why you all have to make these cupcakes for someone you love this weekend. This recipe is from here, but it has been tried & tested by the best baker I know, my dad. He made it for me for my birthday this year (as a cake) and it was a huge hit. It didn't even make it through the night. It was completely gone, crumbs picked up and all. The best part is that this is a pretty easy recipe and turning it into cupcakes makes them that much easier.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons red food coloring
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place adorable cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

2. Cream shortening, butter flavoring, sugar, and eggs with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, make a paste with food coloring and cocoa and add to the shortening mixture.

3. Mix buttermilk, salt, baking soda and vinegar; add to mixture.

4. Slowly add flour to mixture in batches.

5. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

6. While the cupcakes are cooking, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. Combine 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well blended.

7. Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Decorate to your heart's desire.

Vegan swap out: So I don't have any idea how to make this vegan, but there are many places that do. Tomato Head in Knoxville makes vegan red velvet cupcakes the size of my head that are to die for. Sorry, that's the best I can offer you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

**Side note, I will be out of town all next week. I'm going to Arizona! Don't worry, posts will still go on, I just may be a little slow on any responses. I'll see you on the other side with pics of the Grand Canyon.**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*If you have a recipe that you think I should feature in this section, or you want to let me know how yours turned out, please contact me at avie.designs@gmail.com with the subject: blog.recipe