Red Carpet Ready Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes sense.  After literally years of my friends poking at me, telling me to make Red Velvet cupcakes and me saying no no  (the taste of red velvet is meh, imo) I go and make them and hit disasters at every turn.  What do i mean by that?

Well for starters the event that I baked for would ideally have had about three hard core red velvet lovers in attendance.  They weren't able to come out last night though.  Sad face.  Second, pour-ing rain the entire time I baked -- and we all know my complaints about bad lighting.  The sun did not come out at all until I got in my car and started driving there. -.-  Third... was this guy.

What is this?  Just an egg right?  Yes just an egg. However it is NOT just an egg if you discover it on the counter AFTER you have put your cupcake batter in the oven.  Oy.  I had to run out and hope Target had not closed yet so that I could buy more red food coloring.

In any case, mini disasters aside,  I made red velvet cupcakes!  Fit for the red carpet I might add.  Well to be exact, they were made FOR the red carpet.  My friends tend to lean on the awesome side, including throwing theme parties any chance we get.  Last Saturday was a friend's Hollywood themed birthday party - red, black, gold stars everywhere, drag queens, red carpet, top hats, 5 inch heels. The works.  As soon as I heard about the party  the wheels in my mind started turning.

I thought back to the Heart Valentine's Day cupcakes I made and decided to make something similar.  Instead of making them with hearts though I did stars.


Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24+, Bake for about 18 minutes at 350* 
Doubled recipe found here.  

2.5 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons  regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 (1 stick) cup  unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 cups  white sugar
2 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup  buttermilk
2 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1. In a big bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa.
2. In mixer, beat butter until soft.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Combine buttermilk and red food coloring in a separate bowl and whisk together.
4. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures to the sugar/butter mixture in five additions, starting and ending with flour.
5. In a small cup/bowl add vinegar to baking soda and let fizz together.  Fold into the rest of the batter.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake pan and bake.

This scene totally looks familiar huh?  Haha.   Last time though, i used the heart cut outs to make little sandwiches.  This time I only sliced half of them so i did not have that many. 

 Unfortunately these stars did not come out as straight as the hearts. A little messy.  They'd come off half on the liner.  But i still used them.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1.5 packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp heavy whipping cream
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Cream butter and cream cheese.
2. Add vanilla and whipping cream.
3. Add powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency.

I piped frosting onto half of them.  The other half with tops cut off were piped and the tops replaced.  It was a messy kitchen.  Red velvet crumbs everywhere.

Then I put the star cut outs on top of the other cupcakes to give them some color and star style.  I added gold sprinkles to both.

Ta-dah!  Pretty huh?

The best part was when I called the birthday boy a few weeks beforehand to go over the details.  Because he bakes cakes.  Like he bakes beautiful multi layer, you'd want this for your wedding, cakes.  And his cake sounded, and turned out fabulous.  Look at the detail!

 Matched perfectly with the theme of the night, and of course my cupcakes. Here they are all together!

Actually the entire party was great success.  Planned largely in part by my best friend Hugo, it was awesome.  Cute little details everywhere.

Had a blast with the props. None of my girl friends were there (not that i have too many of those anyways, haha), so I might have borrowed husbands/boyfriends.  That's Hugo with me on the right. Did you ever meet someone who makes your life better because they're in it?  Yup.

Don't worry.  I had time to cheers over my cupcakes.  And then of course... shove one in my mouth.

PROOF I EAT ALL THE THINGS.  

I saved three cupcakes though.  Because the horrible rain had pictured blocked me after all, and I was intent on getting pictures.

Sure enough, the next day was windy but we had some fabulous sun.  The kind where you want to just want to turn into a cat/dog and bask in it all day.

I had one of these and they weren't bad at all.  Which is a good thing since I dont like red velvet right?   I was kind of worried that I had over done it with the mess of golden sprinkles, but they worked out okay. 

I think my favorite reaction to them though, was from a friend of a friend who said "This is so good, I want to just put my face in that container."  I'll take that as a glowing recommendation.

xoxo,
Anna