Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

 There's something so classic about a red velvet cupcake. Red velvet cakes are an American tradition, named for the smooth texture of the cake and the rich red tone that results from the chemical interaction of cocoa, brown sugar, and buttermilk - but is nowadays usually enhanced with red food coloring.

The first (and best) red velvet cake I remember encountering is the famous cake at The Bubble Room on Captiva Island, FL (neighbor to Sanibel Island). My mom developed a fixation for the rich red dessert and we've served it at family parties ever since. I don't even want to know how much red dye I've ingested as a result.

My roommate's birthday came up this week, so I decided I'd whip up a treat. Luckily, his favorite cupcake flavor just happens to be red velvet!

Now, I will admit, I was in a time crunch, so I made these cakes using a mix (Duncan Hines, if you're wondering). I'm sorry! I'm bad! I know! But I did make the frosting from scratch. If you're looking for a good red velvet cake recipe, I've used this one before and it came out quiet nicely!

For the  frosting, you'll need:
4 ounces butter, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To get this delicious, creamy frosting started, mix the butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer. Once they're fully incorporated, add the confectioner's sugar, one half cup at a time. Add vanilla extract. If you'd like a slightly stiffer frosting, add a little more sugar. I also added a little extra cream cheese to cut the sweetness of the frosting when I added more sugar.

If you're planning on piping this frosting onto your cupcakes, you may want to refrigerate it for a bit to ensure that it stays stiff - this frosting melts faster than a regular buttercream and it can look a little bit sweaty if it's left out in hot weather!