My Masterpiece
This is quite scary to be perfectly honest. I am lost for words as I sit here writing my FIRST post ever!! I'm used to updating my twitter and not writing long posts so this will be slightly difficult for me to get used to. I've never done something like this, so bear with me. Here it goes....
If you're reading this blog then you must be a die-hard crazy obsessed would do anything for a cupcake kinda person like myself. Or you may just be stopping by to look for a quick recipe... either way, Cupcake Craving is the right blog for you! Here I will post pictures and recipes of all my attempted cupcakes so you can try them to! I know baking seems like a challenge but with the right directions anyone can do it. It's a piece of cupcake!! HAHA
To kick things off I figured I would start with a crowd favorite, Red Velvet. My little sisters 13th birthday is coming up soon so I thought these Hello Kitty inspired cupcakes would be lots of fun for her party! (the muffin tins are Hello Kitty too but it's kinda hard to tell!!) I bought the Hello Kitty faces, they're called icing toppers. They come in lots of different designs and are always a fun way to add a little decoration to your cupcakes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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
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.
I got this recipe and these directions from The Food Network. I found that the cooking time was a little off and the cupcakes actually required closer to 27 minutes to cook perfectly.
Cream Cheese 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
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions:
With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.
Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake.
I got the red velvet cupcake recipe from The Food Network but decided to mix it up and made the cream cheese frosting recipe from Simply Recipes. That is where I found the directions too. The frosting turned out a little thin so I threw in another cup (making that 4 cups) of powdered sugar so that I would achieve my desired consistency.
The cupcakes turned out ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I found it physically impossible to stop eating after just one bite. They balance between cake and frosting was perfect and I can still taste the richness from the cream cheese! I can't wait to show them off at my sisters party!! I hope you all enjoy these recipes as much as I did.
See ya when I get my next Cupcake Craving!
