Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

As part of our Anti-SuperBowl party, I knew I wanted to serve something sweet, small, and cute. I figured miniature cupcakes would be just the thing and, this being the south, settled on Red Velvet Cupcakes.

My mother once described red velvet cake as "chocolate cake with a bottle of red food coloring!". These cupcakes put the lie to that description with a flavor all their own and only a few tablespoons of red food coloring. They are complex and nuanced and absolutely delicious.

This post has been linked up to Sweets for a Saturday over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Makes: 44 mini cupcakes or ~2 dozen regular cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients
8 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 1/2 Tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups plus 4 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp distilled white vinegar

Frosting Ingredients
4 2/3 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp butter
scant 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 oz cream cheese

Cupcake Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE or GREASE muffin tins

CREAM butter and sugar with mixer for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy
ADD eggs
MIX on high
ADD cocoa, vanilla, and food coloring
MIX throughly, ensure that the food coloring gets distributed through all the batter

MIX on low while adding 1/2 cup buttermilk
ADD 1 cup and 2 tbsp of flour
MIX until combined
MIX on low, add remaining 1/2 cup of buttermilk
ADD remaining 1 cup and 2 tbsp of flour
MIX until combined
BEAT on high until smooth

SWITCH mixer to low
ADD baking soda and vinegar (this may foam)

SWITCH mixer to high
BEAT 2-3 minutes

SCOOP 1 tbsp of batter into each prepared mini muffin cup
BAKE 12-15 minutes

LET COOL

Enjoy! (Or frost : )

Frosting Directions
BEAT powdered sugar, butter, and cinnamon together until well blended
ADD cream cheese
BEAT on medium-high until incorporated
CONTINUE BEATING another 5 minutes or until frosting becomes light and fluffy (Do not overbeat!)

My Thoughts
1. I let my cupcakes cool overnight and frosted the next morning using a rubber spatula, a swirling motion, and a lot of patience. I then sprinkled with a 50/50 cinnamon/sugar blend.

2. These are sophisticated and delicious, the cinnamon cream cheese is the perfect finishing touch.

3. For only containing 3.5 tbsps of food coloring, these were vividly red. Not day-glo bright, but a nice deep, rich red.

4. For regularly sized cupcakes, bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes.

5. Since the frosting has cream cheese in it, these are not something you want to leave out for hours and hours. Chill until serving.