Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

I love red velvet cake. So much so that our entire wedding cake was red velvet with cream cheese filling. The one tiny bite we had during the cutting was amazing. Fortunately (or unfortunately) everyone else thought so too so we didn't have any left over. I'm really hoping our 1-year anniversary top layer freezes well and still tastes as good.

As part of my 99 Things to Do in 2009 I wanted to make my own red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting from scratch. So, I did. I made cupcakes so I could take leftovers to work. I used a recipe I had starred in my google reader from Amber's Delectable Delights. Amber took this recipe from Annie's Eats. I filled the cupcakes with a bit of cream cheese frosting before frosting them and it was oh so yummy.

This is a very good red velvet cake recipe although, I prefer a richer flavor. I may add a bit more cocoa powder next time. The frosting did not come out quite right for me. It was too runny for the cupcakes (although it would probably work well with an actual layered cake) as I like fluffy frosting for my cupcakes. No matter how much powdered sugar I added, I couldn't get it to stiffen up. Oh well, it tasted good.



Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights originally from Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 c cake flour (I used 2 1/2 c - 5tbs all-purpose flour)
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5/8 ounce bottle red food coloring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*

Line bottom of 24 cupcake wells with paper liners.

Cream together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vinegar.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and cocoa together.

Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients while beating.

Slowly add the buttermilk.

While still beating add the vanilla and food coloring.

Pour equal amounts in to prepared cupcake wells (about 1 1/2 large cookie scoops). Bake for about 12-15 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from cupcake pan to cool on wire rack.

To fill cupcakes, spoon frosting into cake decoarting bag with a round tip. Push tip into top of cupcake and fill to desired fullness. Frost the tops of the cupcakes to cover hole.

For the Frosting
Ingredients:
12 oz cream cheese , softened
7 1/2 tbs butter softened
2 tbs sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla on medium speed until until well combined.

Add powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.