I titled this recipe "Red Velvet Run Cupcakes," for a WWL-TV segment featuring my party food for the Red Dress Run in New Orleans, August 12, 2023. Weatherman Payton Malone did the decorating honors! (Video linked below recipe.)
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Fill each liner about 3/4 full. These babies really rise.
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Red Velvet Run Cupcakes
Makes 24 frosted cupcakes
These are made with traditional ingredients, in the Southern manner. Secret ingredient: a whole stick of butter. I’ve never had any complaints.
Toppings: Chopped walnuts or pecans, red sanding sugar and/or red dragées. Pro-tip: dark cupcake pans evenly distribute heat (think: rise) better than light-toned ones.
Cupcakes
2 ½ cups cake flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon red gel food color
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Heat oven to 350°F. Place 24 paper liners in two standard muffin pans. In medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt.
In large bowl, with electric mixer, combine sugar, oil, butter. Mix in eggs, food color, vanilla.
Mix in a third of dry ingredients, half buttermilk, another third dry, other half buttermilk, last third dry. In a small bowl stir together the baking soda and vinegar (it fizzes!), mix in to batter. Scrape down sides of batter bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients.
Fill each liner about 3/4 full. Bake 17 to 18 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Don't overbake. Done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool then frost!
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
4 cups (16 ounces) powdered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons milk (don't overdo it)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Red sanding sugar
Chopped walnuts, pecans, per your preference
In large bowl, with hand mixer, cream together the cheese and butter till smooth. You might have sort of a big glob at first; carefully spin the beaters low in the bowl on high speed to clear them, without spattering the kitchen with cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time and beat. Add 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, salt. Add another tablespoon milk or 2 if frosting is too stiff.
Pipe onto tops of muffins, dust with red sanding sugar and/or chopped nuts to garnish.
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Let cool, then pipe the frosting . . .
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Then sanding sugar and walnuts = all done!
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Click on the pic below to go to the tape! (Left to right, Colleen Seeley, Payton Malone, myself, Whitney Miller, and Eric Paulsen, of WWL-TV New Orleans' Eyewitness Morning News)!
Party the next day at my house with my red dress runners!! The real feel outside was 125°F! Laissez les bons temps rouler! 💃🏻 🍤 🧁 🎉 🥵 !!!
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