Red Velvet Cupcakes

I mentioned a few days ago on facebook that I had leftover cream cheese frosting and that it needed a home.  Well, not so much a home as a reason to continue to keep it in my fridge and eat it with a spoon.  I could have froze it-leftover frosting keeps in the freezer for several months, tightly sealed-but I needed a special dessert for this holiday weekend anyway, so….red velvet cupcakes it is!  Decorated with blueberries to make them patriotic, of course!

Also, I can now state with absolute confidence that this is my only recipe for red velvet cupcakes.  Out of hundreds (thousands?) of cake recipes, I went through every single one and sorted out just the red velvet. I then compared and contrasted the ingredient lists to narrow it down to three.  I am going for a classic recipe here.  I baked them all and ate them all.  Let me tell you, it was rough!  Then my family ate some, a friend, some neighbors, and everyone picked a favorite based on flavor, texture, and overall level of yumminess.  It was unanimous!  All were great, but only one recipe had the moist, traditional flavor of true red velvet cake.  So, I threw away all my other recipes.  Now I don’t have to wonder if I have a better version stashed somewhere else!  This is the best one!  And just maybe, coming soon to a BBQ near you!
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens

In a large bowl, cream together:
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Add 2 eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition
Add 1 tsp vinegar
Add 1 (1 oz) bottle of red food coloring (Yes!  The whole bottle!) and mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together:
2 1/4 c cake flour (or 2 c all purpose flour)
1/3 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
Add the dry ingredients in three installments, alternating with 1 c buttermilk, ending with buttermilk.  Mix just until combined.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and finish mixing by hand.  Bake in muffin tins sprayed, greased, or lined with paper liners.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Note: This recipe can also be baked in a 9X13 pan or two 8 or 9 inch rounds.  Just adjust the baking time accordingly.

Cream Cheese Frosting
There are lots of recipes out there for cream cheese frosting.  Use any one you like, or give this a try!

1-8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (1/4 c) softened butter
1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat together until smooth.