Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Happy Valentine's Day!!! My family and I went out for breakfast to celebrate and then Kevin and I will be celebrating with a date night this evening. So fun!! I thought I'd post this amazing recipe for red velvet cupcakes in honor of Valentine's Day. Honestly, I find this holiday to be a little lame but do enjoy the baking and candy that goes with it. These cupcakes were by far the best red velvet I've ever had. Most red velvet cupcakes are topped with cream cheese frosting, but these have a cinnamon frosting that you actually heat up. It was beyond good. Here's the recipe which I got courtesy of Oprah.com. Again, this requires you making a giant effing mess and using tons of different mixing bowls. It's worth it.



Red Velvet Cupcakes:

1/4 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp red gel food coloring
1/4 cup boiling water
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
2 Tbsp room temp Crisco (don't fear the hydrogenated oil)
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour (don't try to use all purpose, it's not the same)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake papers. In medium bowl, wisk together cocoa powder, boiling water and food coloring. Set aside to cool. In another mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening until smooth. Add sugar and mix until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cooled cocoa mixture. Sift cake flour and salt together in another bowl. With mixer on low, alternate adding flour mixture and cocoa mixture to egg mixture. Beat well. In another small bowl (I hope you have a lot of bowls), combine vinegar and baking soda and stir until dissolved - it'll fizz so don't freak out. Add to batter and stir until combined. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Now for the frosting.....

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 sticks unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon
Red Hot Candies (you can find these in the baking aisle by the sprinkles)
Red White Chocolate hearts

In a heavy saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture boils and has thickened - about 12 minutes. Transfer to mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until cool - about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add butter and beat until mixed in. Beat an additional 2-3 minutes on high speed. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon and mix until combined. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the fridge for a little bit and stir it up again. Frost each cupcake and top with a heart or a red hot!!! Happy Valentine's Day!!!