Red Velvet Cupcakes

I think it was Coco Chanel who said that anything you really love never goes out of style. I really love red velvet cake and red velvet cupcakes, with anything from cream cheese icing, like here, to seven minute icing, like my grandmother made.

Here's to timeless cakes.

And to decorating with sprinkles.


To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with papers or to make a cake, grease and flour 2 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

3 tablespoons cocoa
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

Mix together and set aside.

Cream together:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Add 3 whole eggs and the paste of cocoa and food coloring. Beat for 10 minutes.

Add:

1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups cake flour that has been sifted three times with 1 teaspoon salt.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking
soda. Add that to the mixture.

Whew. Pour all that in the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes.

Cool on wire racks for a few minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 box (16 ounces) powdered sugar
teaspoon or two of vanilla

Beat together until smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy.