Brooklyn Rose Cupcakes

It's about time someone posted something on this blog! I know I've been extremely busy with work, Nikki has been extremely busy with work, and Krissy has been extremely busy... working on her tan in Mexico. Ha. All in all, a rough couple of weeks for the Cookie Confessions girls.

I actually had enough downtime today for some quality kitchen time. I volunteered myself earlier this week to bake cupcakes for Julia and Kristen's birthday, so I made sure to keep my schedule clear today so I could fully embrace my baking responsibility.

What did I decide to bake for the occasion? Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes- from scratch. This was my first attempt at Red Velvet Cupcakes, and while they tasted delicious, they actually looked more like Brown Velvet Cupcakes. That's because I didn't read the recipe close enough and missed the part about them being an adaptation of a Mocha Cake. Oops.

And it turns out that my frosting technique is quite unique. For some reason, when I swiped the frosting across the cupcake tops, they all ended up looking like roses. So I named these creations Brooklyn Rose Cupcakes. And there you have it.

Here's the entire time-consuming recipe for those who feel inclined. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake (adapted from here)

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp red food colouring

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9″ baking pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Beat butter until fluffy, add sugar and beat until incorporated.

3. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl until fully incorporated.

4. In large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring.

5. Add half of dry ingredients to butter/egg mix, then half of wet. Repeat process until all is mixed together.

6. Pour into lined baking sheets and bake for 22-25 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking rack in pans for 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans by inverting onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.

Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from here)

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) at room temperature

8 ounces of Philadelphia cream cheese (1 package) at room temperature

2-3 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese toegther, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness.

3. Spread on with a blunt knife or spatula.