eye candy

Elliott isn't such a big fan of sweets but I really really really am.  Elliott is, however, a fan of home-baked goodies.  So perhaps that is why, to satisfy our two cravings, I have made whole grain bread and zucchini bread and oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies and these cupcakes this week.  Overkill, right?  Definitely satisfied the sweet tooth, right?  Maybe not.  Tomorrow I'm going to make a double-layer Valentine's Day cake for another event!

I love these cupcakes, though.  They were red velvet with cream cheese frosting and were a total hit at the women's Bible study this week.  I left a few at Elliott's vet clinic, too.  None of them came home.  Which made me very glad that I'd smuggled a couple home for us* to enjoy that evening.

For those of you who are inspired to make some Valentine's Day goodies, here's the recipe I used.  It is from the wonderful cooking blog Simply Recipes:

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: makes about 2.5 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/3 cups of cake flour
• 2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of buttermilk*
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

Frosting ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

*You can make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to milk and letting it stand for about 10 minutes.

Directions

The Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. 
• In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
• Add a fourth of the dry ingredients and mix, then add a third of the wet. Continue adding in a dry, wet, dry pattern, ending with the dry ingredients. 
• Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking to ensure even baking.
• Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Frosting

• Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
• Add the vanilla extract and mix.
• Add the powdered sugar, continually taste to get to desired sweetness. 
• Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

*I ate both of them.