The Best Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Before making this recipe, I had never made cupcakes before, let alone from scratch! I did my research and found that the Magnolia Bakery recipe is the best (found on epicurious.com). Red velvet cupcakes are a bit more complicated than other types of cupcakes, but have such an impressive presentation. The baking is the same, but there are more ingredients (such as cider vinegar, buttermilk and 6 TABLESPOONS of food coloring, ouch!) so more bowls to wash and coordination in the kitchen. I made these with the Magnolia Bakery vanilla frosting recipe,  and will try them with a cream cheese frosting next time.
The cupcake was great and fluffy! I made them for Alex's friend's party (yes, I am the girl that brings cupcakes instead of alcohol to a party), and people raved! Someone actually told Alex that I was a gourmet cook! This recipe enabled me to fake it. Yay!
P.S. I baked these before I started this blog, so I do not have a picture. I will take a picture next time! Next time I will sprinkle cupcakes with coconut or white chocolate shavings.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Epicurious  | February 2008

by Allysa Torey

More From Magnolia: Recipes From The World-Famous Bakery and Magnolia's Home Kitchen

3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons red food coloring

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting .

Epicurious Test-Kitchen Tip: This recipe also makes 2 dozen cupcakes. Use 2 muffin pans, each with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups, and line each cup with a paper liner. (There's no need to grease the cups.) Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and bake the cupcakes, switching positions of the pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack before icing. To ice, mound about 1/4 cup of frosting on top of each cupcake and use an icing spatula to make a swirl on top. If desired, decorate with colored sprinkles.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Velvet-Cupcakes-with-Creamy-Vanilla-Icing-241544#ixzz11sp6lkDf

For the icing below: The recipe calls for 6-8 cups of confectioner sugar. I think Magnolia Bakery puts 8 cups of sugar in their icing, because their icing gives me that "1 hour after you come home from trick or treating, I have had way too much sugar" feeling. Use 7 cups of sugar as directed below.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING

from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

1 c (2 sticks) unsatled butter (softened aka leave out for a couple hours while you clean the dishes you made from the cupcakes in your underwear and bootyshake to Beyonce)

7 c confectioner sugar

1/2 c milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 c of sugar, then milk and vanilla. On medium speed with an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy (about 3 min). Gradually add remaining sugar (1 c at a time). Icing can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days.