RED VELVET VALENTINE'S DAY CUPCAKES

What better for a kiddies' Valentine's day party than Red Velvet cupcakes? I will forego the traditional cream cheese frosting for a classic buttercream because this will hold up better and pipes beautifully. I wanted huge swirls of buttercream and little candy heart sprinkles.

I think this will go over well with the kindergarteners because it has all the elements of fun food: it's tiny, sweet, buttery, full of sprinkles and hand-held! Bib took a mini cupcake and scraped off all the frosting (as usual); leaving behind the cake. She didn't even taste the cake; nor was she interested in tasting it. Bebe ate the whole thing and nodded approvingly.

The recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes makes 24 regular cupcakes, but I wanted mini ones for the kids so I made a batch of 24 mini cupcakes and the rest of the batter filled up the remaining 14 regular-sized cupcake molds for the adults.

The batter mixes up easily and yes indeed, it uses a full 2 ounces (a huge bottle) of red food colouring. The resulting batter looks quite ghastly, but after it bakes, it deepens into a deep red.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
from The Artful Cupcake, by Marcianne Miller
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter or shortening, room temperature (I used butter, of course!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 oz red food colouring
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t vanilla extract
1 T distilled white vinegar
1 T baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare the muffin pans with shortening or nonstick spray. Bake without paper cups to get smoother sides. [I used paper liners]
2. Cream together the butter/shortening and sugar until well blended and light and fluffy
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend well after each addition
4. Make a paste with the food colouring and cocoa. Add the paste to the butter/shortening mixture and blend thoroughly.
5. Add the salt and buttermilk to the mixture
6. Add the flour, vanilla, vinegar and baking soda in that order, mixing after each addition
7. Pour the batter into the pans, filling at least halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. Remove and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

I frosted with a 1m Wilton tip using a double batch of this classic buttercream recipe.