Recipe 70: Red Velvet Cupcakes

I start my new nanny job today. I can't wait to be back with the McKinney's. I worked for them last summer, and they are the greatest. Not that my girls during the school year weren't wonderful, but there is something different about working with older kids, both boys and girls. Not only is today my first day back, but it's Baylor's 10th birthday! So I had to make something. And that something obviously had to be cake. I mean, it IS a birthday. I only had 3 cakes left (banana cake, red velvet cupcakes and pineapple upside cake). I decided on the red velvet cupcakes for a few reasons:

1. Who doesn't love cupcakes?

2. The other two cakes involved fruit. Kids and fruit don't always mix. Kids and chocolate ALWAYS mix.

3. Marshmellow frosting? Hello.

I've had red velvet cupcakes twice before. And until this moment, I really didn't like red velvet cupcakes. The two that I had were very dry, and the frosting (cream cheese for those) overpowered the slight chocolate taste that red velvet cake has.

Anyway, back to Baylor's cupcakes. I cut the recipe in half, since there are only four of us during the day, and three more counting Kris, Blake and Jay. And I figured they'd have a cake for Baylor anyway. I was lucky when it came to making the cupcakes, I had most of the ingredients. I did have to buy red food coloring (I just bought a bottle of red and used 1 tablespoon for the recipe), vinegar, marshmallow creme (I could only find marshmallow fluff. And it was located by the ice cream!!) and powdered sugar. I stirred together the dry ingredients (minus the baking soda) in one bowl, then creamed together the sugar and butter in another bowl. Added the egg. Then I stirred in the red food coloring and vanilla. After all that was combined, I added the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating between the two. Once all that was mixed, I added in the baking soda and vinegar. It made an awesome fizzing noise, complete with bubbles. I mixed that in well, and spooned it into the muffin cups (12 regular, 2 small). Baked for 20 minutes, then let them cool.

I let the cupcakes sit until Sunday night and frosted them before I went to bed (I made the cupcakes on Saturday because I had nothing to do). I had to cut the batch of frosting in half too, so I spooned out 3.75-oz. of marshmallow fluff (I bought a 7.5-oz. jar) and microwaved for 15 until it was soft. Using a hand mixer, I mixed in the butter (1 stick) and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Then I frosted the cupcakes and took them to the McKinneys!

From Betty Crocker's Baking Basics, 2009

Also online

Cake Ingredients (for half batch)

12 paper baking cups

1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon red food coloring

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter milk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting (for half batch)

1/2 jar (3.5-3.75 oz.) marshmallow creme (I could only find marshmallow fluff)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350. Place a paper baking cup in each of the muffin cups.

2. In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the granulated sugar and the granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixed. Add the eggs; beat 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the food coloring and vanilla.

3. On low speed, beat 1/2 of the flour mixture just until mixed, then beat in 1/2 of the buttermilk until mixed. Repeat beating in flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk just until mixed. Beat in the baking soda and vinegar until well mixed. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each 2/3 full.

4. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

5. Remove lid and foil seal from jar of marshmallow creme. Microwave on high 15-20 seconds to soften. In a large bowl, beat marshmallow creme and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon frosting onto each cupcake, swirling frosting with the back of a spoon. (I cut the frosting recipe in half and only used half of that. I didn't put a lot of frosting on each cupcake.)

The Verdict? The cupcakes themselves were wonderful! But the frosting was WAY to sweet for me. I think I'd prefer a cream cheese frosting on these.