Roll Out the Red Velvet Carpet

With the opening of countless cupcake shops in California, these little cakes have finally made their way to Hollywood (and my kitchen...and my stomach) after decades of being a classic tradition of the South. Since then, they have spread like wildfire, but people seem to have no problem putting them out. It's been said that the idea of a red cake originated from a reaction between cocoa powder and vinegar used for leavening in a chocolate cake. This red hue was then intensified with red food coloring, and the rest is history!

The recipe below is one of my all-time favorites. It calls for only a bit of cocoa powder, which not only lets the whopping two bottles of red food coloring shine through, but it also creates a uniquely subtle cake that is not quite chocolate, not quite vanilla. I was sure these cupcakes would be amazing after tasting the batter, and when they came out of the oven, they did not disappoint. They were madly moist and tender - the perfect cupcake, I daresay. There's nothing more intriguing to me than brightly colored food, and no food is more brightly colored than red velvet cake!



Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cupcakes
Source: Pinch My Salt

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
* 2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted before and after measuring
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 eggs, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon white vinegar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
For the frosting:
* 16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
* pinch of salt

Directions:
For the cupcakes:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
* Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.
* In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
* In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it will fizz! Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 - 3/4 full). Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t overbake!
* Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
* With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
* Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
* Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).
* Frost cupcakes and decorate with red sprinkles, if desired. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.