Red Velvet is Easy!

My favorite way to make red velvet is the easy way!  Red velvet and cream cheese frosting is a must.  I really don't understand why they even bother putting nasty vanilla frosting on it at all.  In case you didn't know, red velvet cake is essentially a chocolate cake with red food coloring in it.  According to the Google (I use Google as a noun and a verb, this time it's a noun) the cake was red because cocoa back in the day had a redish tinge to it but modern cocoa is processed differently reducing the redish color.  Also traditional recipes will call for vinegar that reacts with the cocoa creating the red color.  Anyways, as promised here is my favorite EASY red velvet recipe and following is a recipe for cream cheese icing. 

Quick Red Velvet Cake - Adapted from the book The Cake Mix Doctor
Makes 24 cupcakes (really it does)
Prep Time:  8 Minutes
Baking Time:  12-15 minutes based on your oven temp

Ingredients

1 package (18.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix with pudding (most have pudding if they say "extra moist")
1 cup sour cream (no skimping with light sour cream)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 bottle (1 oz.) red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( no imitation vanilla)

Directions

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 and line two 12 cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners

2.  Put all ingredients together in a bowl and blend with an electric mixer for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and blend for an additional 2 minutes.  The batter should look thick and well blended.

3.  Using a cookie scoop or ladle, fill each cupcake liner about 1/2 way full.  If you use the same size scoop all the liners should be evenly filled.

Cooled and ready for frosting

4.  Place the pans in the oven for about 12 minutes.  Check the cake for doneness by quickly tapping the center of the cupcake with your finger.  Make sure your hands are clean!  You can use a tooth pick but I usually don't have any in the house.  If the cake jiggles when you pull the rack out, don't touch it just put it back in for a few minutes.

5.  Remove the pans from the oven and place on a rack to cool. 

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely or you will not be happy :)

Cream Cheese Frosting (basically the best frosting on Earth)
-Adapted from Southern Living

Makes A LOT!  Way more than enough for 24 cupcakes
Prep Time:  15 minutes (does not include time for the cream cheese and butter to soften)

Ingredients:

1 8 oz block of cream cheese + 4 oz. cream cheese, softened (essentially 1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese)
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 packages (16 oz. packages)  of powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar is the same thing) sifted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  I like using a stand mixer but an electric hand mixer will be fine.

2.  Make sure the cream cheese and butter is softened, if you don't you will have chunks in your frosting.  No one, I mean no one, wants to bite into a chunk of cream cheese.

3.  Place the cream cheese and butter in your bowl and begin to mix.  If you're using a stand mixer, get it started and let it go.  That way you can start sifting the powdered sugar.  NOTE:  Don't let your husband do this!  They make a mess.

4.  After the cream cheese and butter are creamed together and look non-chunky and fluffy, sift your powdered sugar if you haven't already done it.  Sifting ensures no pockets of sugar in your frosting. 

5.  Slowly.  Did you catch that?  SLOWLY.  Add your powdered sugar to the butter/cream cheese mixture.  If you put it all in the bowl and then turn on your mixer your kitchen will look like it was hit by a blizzard. 

6.  Once your powdered sugar is all mixed in add the vanilla to the mixture.



7.  Now mix the frosting for a little while until it looks awesome.  The more you mix, the more air you incorporate and the lighter it will be. 

8.  Now you have a choice on how to frost your cupcakes.  You can either use an off-set spatula, pastry bag and tip, frosting contraption, or a good old zip lock bag.  Yes zip lock bag.  You fill the bag, seal it, cut a corner off and pipe away.  The best thing about the zip lock bag is you can just throw it away when you're done and you don't have to fish a decorating tip out of a frosting filled pastry bag.

9.  Pipe away and make sure you refrigerate these ones!  When ready to serve, take them out of the fridge and let thaw.

There you have it!  EASY Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Frosting.  AKA best cake ever.



All frosted and ready to EAT!



- Kristi