Red Velvet Cupcakes and Squirrel

This afternoon I found myself in the kitchen with Squirrel, not a squirrel but Squirrel. She is a long time friend of ours better known as Carey, but we prefer to call her by her nickname.

This after noon Squirrel came over and we tried our hand at making Red Velvet Cupcakes. Since The Bubs' wedding (in which Squirrel married us) I have been obsessed with cupcakes. Let me recap by saying that at our wedding I had the best cupcake I've ever had in my life (this thought is shared by many people). The wonderful baker at Tiers for Two in Modesto, CA produced some red velvet cupcakes with chocolate chips with a cheesecake frosting. Yum, I drool just thinking about them.

Well today I decided it was time I stop fearing the red velvet and try my hand at it. Squirrel showed up just in time to bake. So we gabbed about life and got down to business. It was a lot of fun to share the kitchen with someone who loves baking as much as I do.

After doing weeks and weeks of research, I made up my own recipe. I ended up looking at probably 15 recipes, a billion blogs and my bosses red velvet recipe. It's hard to say where I got what ideas. I think it might need a little tweaking but that's ok!

Overall the cupcakes came out very enjoyable. I would have liked them to have been a bit more red, Squirrel suggested a little moister, and Mario said "this is delicious". I also invited a friend and her son over to have some cupcakes and they seemed to really enjoy them. I'm going to say that this recipe was a success, and with some minor tweeking I think we have a winner on our hands.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 20 cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• .50 fluid ounces red food coloring (we used 1.5 of the little red food coloring bottles you buy at Easter)
  
• 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. milk chocolate chips
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 c. buttermilk (room temperature)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Instructions:
Line cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers.

Sift the first three ingredients together and set aside. In a small bowl mix together the cocoa powder and red food coloring and set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Next add in an egg and thoroughly beat, then do the same with the second egg. Next add in vanilla extract and half of buttermilk, mix. Add half of the flour mixture and beat. Add cocoa powder mixture. Repeat second half of buttermilk, then beat in remaining flour mixture.

With a spoon mix in chocolate chips. In a small bowl mix vinegar and baking soda together, then add to batter, stir well.

Fill cupcake wrappers 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool then frost.

The cream cheese frosting comes from Jacki's Bento Blog. It was perfect!