Test Kitchen Thursday - Red Velvet Cupcakes

These Red Velvet Cupcakes are my favorite!  Plus, they are especially fun for Valentine's Day.
The recipe is from the February 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter (although I accidentally used 1 Cup of butter this time around and they still turned out fine).
3 C all-purpose flour
2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 t salt
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 - 1oz bottle red food coloring (2 T)
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t vinegar

Frosting:
1 1/2 C whole milk
1/3 C flour
dash salt
1 1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
2 t vanilla

Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 muffin cups; set aside.
In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. 
In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined.  One at a time add eggs; beat on medium after each.  Beat in food coloring on low.
Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low-medium after each just until combines.  Stir together baking soda and vinegar.  Add to batter; beat just until combined.
Scoop into muffin cups (I use a 1/4 C measure to fill my cups with)
Bake 15 - 17 minutes or until pick inserted near center comes out clean.  The cakes may appear marbled.
Remove from pans quickly (to stop the baking process) and allow to cool on wire racks.


Frosting:
In medium saucepan whisk together milk, flour and salt.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Transfer to small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until cooled (do not stir).  


In large bowl beat butter, sugar and vanilla on medium for 5 minutes until light and fluffy and sugar is almost dissolved.  Add cooled milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on low after each until smooth.

These go over well at our house but I always make them when I can give them away.  Alan took a bunch to work to help reduce the amount left here!

The boys love to help whenever I bake but this recipe is especially fun.  I make sure the boys are watching when the soda and vinegar are added together.  Fun fizzing and bubbling!  Grant helped me measure and lay everything out and really enjoyed when the batter turned red.  Clark did all the sprinkling!