It is getting close to Valentine’s Day and I wanted to share this great Red Velvet Cupcake recipe that you can dress up with icing and fun decorations. This is the first time I made red velvet cupcakes and I have to say they are excellent! There are so many fun ways to decorate them. If you do not care for icing then place a heart on the cupcake and then with a small sifter, sprinkle powdered sugar around the heart and then carefully remove the heart. It is so pretty and is a nice alternative to icing. You do need to do this close to serving because the next day the powdered sugar will disappear into the cupcake – at least it did for me! Also don’t forget to check out my other Valentine’s Day ideas: A Healthy Whole Grain Cinnamon Oatmeal and Fruit Cookie and Make Your Own Valentine’s Day Dessert! What are your favorite deserts to make for Valentine’s Day?

I went with a simple icing of light cream cheese, milk, and a little powdered sugar. It makes a nice pure white icing. Each cupcake was placed in a pretty festive liner after baking and then a heart pick was placed in each cupcake.

For as much as I liked the white icing it was too bland for Valentine’s Day so I added sprinkles and cinnamon candy. I loved the candy since it added a nice spice to the cupcake.

I love this picture because it looks like you have an endless row of beautiful cupcakes!!

And another picture of using powdered sugar to decorate – just be sure to save your most perfect cupcakes for this minimalist approach as icing can hide a few flaws!

The last few pictures present the cupcakes on a pretty stand that would make a nice centerpiece on the table!

This recipe was adapted from: Better Homes and Gardens

Room Temperature Ingredients
3 eggs
¾ cup butter

Flour Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ tsp salt

Remaining Ingredients
2 ¼ cups sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 1 ounce bottle red food coloring
1 ½ cups buttermilk, light

Baking Soda Ingredients
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp white distilled vinegar

Topping Ingredients
Your favorite icing
Powdered Sugar
Cinnamon Candy

Directions
Let eggs and butter stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with 28 paper liners.

In a medium bowl combine the flour ingredients and set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter for about 30 seconds until creamed. Slowly add sugar and beat until combined. Add and mix in the vanilla.

Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Blend in food coloring on low. Then alternate between the flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar – it will fizzle and bubble. Add to batter; beat to combine.

Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove. Cool completely and then have fun decorating them and then enjoy eating them!

Categories: Baking, Dessert, Holiday Cookin', Starters & Finishers

Tags: baking, Cookies, cooking, cupcakes, desserts, food, photo, photography, recipe, Red Velvet Cupcake recipe, Valentine's Day