Spicy's Sweet Treats

Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting


By: Paula Deen in 2007


These red velvet cupcakes are TO DIE FOR! They are the best red velvet cupcakes that I have ever made. All I did to the cupcakes were decorate them, Paula Deen gets all the credit.

Ingredients:

• 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

 Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 Pound Cream Cheese, Softened (Two 8 Ounce Packages)
• 2 Sticks Butter, Softened
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 Cups Sifted Confectioners' Sugar
• Chopped Pecans And Fresh Raspberries Or Strawberries For Garnish

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
2. 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.
3. 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.

 Cream Cheese Frosting Directions:

1. 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.
2. Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry.
3. Cook's Note: Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip. 

*I had wanted to put something chocolate on top of the cupcake to accent the cocoa in that batter and to add some color to the top. To make the chocolate hearts is actually really simple. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Hearts:

•  2/3 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (You Can Use Any Kind Of Chocolate That You Prefer Or Have)
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1.  In a double boiler, over medium-low heat, add the chocolate chips and the oil into the bowl. Occasionally stir the chocolate until it is melted. If you don't have a double boiler, you can always use a small sauce pot with one inch of water in it and a heat proof bowl on the top. No big deal, you can also use the microwave for 20 seconds on high.
2. Once the chocolate is melted, bring it off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Long enough for it to not melt a plastic freezer bag. 
3. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or plastic wrap. If you have a silicone sheet, that will be great too.
4. When the chocolate is nice and cool, transfer it over into a plastic freezer bag and carefully snip off a small hole on the end. Make sure that no chocolate comes through until you are ready to use it.
5. Now, carefully pick up the bag full of chocolate and make some hearts on the parchment paper. I had made enough hearts that I was able to put two hearts on top of each cupcake. You can put as many as you want on there as you like.
6. Pop the tray either into the freezer or it was cold enough outside for me to put them out on the porch to cool and harden. It shouldn't take no more than 10 minutes to harden.
7. Once you take the chocolate hearts out, carefully peal them off the paper and place them onto the cupcakes. Just be aware that the chocolate will melt quickly so if you need to place it back into the freezer, go ahead.
8. To add just a little bit more color and some fun onto the cupcake, I sprinkled some pink crystal sprinkles onto them.