Red Velvet Cup Cakes

With hearts and Cupid fluttering around in anticipation of Valentine's Day, and tempting bright red and pink icing cupcakes that greet me at the supermarket, suddenly I felt inspired to dust off my bakeware and prepare the ultimate Valentine dessert--a Red Velvet Cake.

Mind you it has been over a year, except for the pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving, that I baked a cake.  So my search for true love of cake and the rediscovery of baking and indulgence begins.

Upon my journey, I learned about the 7 Essential Ingredients for Velvet Red Cake.

The first misconception. Velvet cake is chocolate cake. Incorrecto. Velvet cake is a blend of cocoa and white distilled vinegar and buttermilk.  The other essential ingredients are

1. The cake must have some cocoa, but not too much because it is not a chocolate cake.


2. The cake must have red food coloring; beet juice does not add the right kind of red.

3. The cake must have cream cheese frosting.

4. You must use high-quality ingredients, including White Lily flour.

5. Precise measurements and meticulous attention to detail are key for this cake; therefore, it must be made in small, easy-to handle, family-sized batches. (Mass-produced batter just doesn't cut it. Sorry, large-scale bakeries.)

6. You must use a hand-held electric mixer, not a stand mixer: Larger machines can over-mix the batter, which sometimes prevents the cake from rising properly
7. Red velvet cake batter needs vegetable oil, not butter or shortening. Oil yields a very moist cake.


Here is a recipe I found by Paula Deen from the Food Network for cupcakes--perfect for portion control:

•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


•1 1/2 cups sugar

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon cocoa powder

•1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

•1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

•2 large eggs, room temperature

•2 tablespoons red food coloring

•1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.


For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•1 pound cream cheese, softened

•2 sticks butter, softened

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

•Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish; (personally I prefer no garnish)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans, fresh raspberry or strawberry, or sprinkles.