Red Velvet Cupcakes (Happy Valentine’s Day!)

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    First of all, Happy Valentine’s Day!  This is my first Valentine’s Day as a married lady and this year we went to a great little Mediterranean place called Ali Baba for dinner on Saturday.  Loved it!  My husband had gyro with hummus, tabbouleh, and warm pitas.  I had the grilled marinated chicken with hummus, baba ghannouj, and warms pitas.  The food was filling and delicious.  Now, onto our dessert!
  This month the What’s Baking challenge was hosted by Dunne from With a Cherry On Top.  The challenge for this month was Baked with Love.  I immediately began thinking of Valentine’s Day dessert that were read in color.  I’ve been meaning to make red velvet cupcakes for a while now and decided this would be the perfect time to do so.
    I saw Paula Deen a few months ago and have been dying to try her red velvet cupcake recipe.  I went with a cream cheese frosting and red chocolate hearts on top.  I thought this went well with this months theme.  I took them to work this past week and they were gone within the hour!  I’d say these guys were a HUGE hit!
   One thing of note-I had no idea how many cupcakes this recipe would make, but it makes 48 mini cupcakes or 24 regular sized cupcakes.  I had plenty of icing left over.  I love putting applesauce into these because it makes them so moist and delicious.  There is no hint of the applesauce in the taste, but these cupcakes are to die for!
Red Velvet Cupcakes (adapted from The Deen Family Cookbook)
3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 t. white vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. low fat milk
Red food coloring

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put cupcake liners in 48 mini muffin cups or 24 regular muffin cups.

2.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and cocoa.  Stir.  In another medium bowl combine the oil, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla.

3.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add in the sugar and continue beating until fluffy.  Add in the oil mixture and mix to combine.  Slowly take turns adding in the flour mixture and milk stirring well in between each addition. 

4.  Mix in enough food coloring to turn the batter red.  Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.  Bake the mini cupcakes for 13-15 minutes or the large cupcakes for 24 minutes.  Take the cupcakes out and put a toothpick in the center of one.  If it comes out clean transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
Cream Cheese Icing (adapted from Paula Deen)
8 oz. cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)
1 stick butter

1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1.  In a bowl beat the softened cream cheese and butter with a mixer until well combined.  Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Hearts

4 oz. red chocolate
1.  Place the chocolate in a ziplock baggie and put in the microwave.  Heat at intervals of 30 seconds until it’s melted.  Seal the top of the baggie, snip of the end, and pipe hearts onto a sheet of waxed paper.  Make designs if desired.

To decorate cupcakes:

1.  Top each cupcake with cream cheese frosting.  Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.  Top with a red chocolate heart.  Frosted cupcakes need to be kept refrigerated (because of the frosting).

                                           
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  2. You’re so lucky to have met Paula Deen. That must have been so neat. Since this is one of her recipes, it must have been delicious. Very pretty too.

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