Callie's Famous Red Velvet Cupcakes with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

While I was trying to decide what my next crochet project was going to be, this wonderful aroma came drifting from my kitchen. It's distracting, that's for sure. My college-age daughter is baking her famous red velvet cupcakes to take to her Promotional Materials class tomorrow to share with classmates after they take their semester final.My daughter wants to follow in my footsteps and become a baker. If she can be successful making only her red velvet cupcakes with their delicious cream cheese frosting she's got it made.

I became a baker because it was something I was good at and love doing. She is majoring in Sports Marketing and as of yet, the end of her junior year, I haven't figured out the correlation between baking and Sports Marketing. Callie loves baking cupcakes and cookies and taking them places to share with her friends, classmates and co-workers. I have encouraged her to attend culinary school, but at this young age she thinks she can be self-taught. More power to her as she follows her own passions. I will just follow the smell of cupcakes to the kitchen, and see if I can sneak one!

Callie's Famous Red Velvet Cupcakes with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 cups granulated cane sugar, 1 tsp. baking soda, 2 Tbsp. good quality cocoa powder, 1 tsp. salt
• Mix together 2 eggs, 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil, 10 oz. plain low-fat yogurt, 2 Tbsp. red food coloring, 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp. white vinegar.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Portion into greased or lined cupcake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking after 15 minutes to see if cupcakes are done. Cupcakes are done baking when tops spring back when gently pressed with fingertip. Be careful not to over-bake.
• Allow to cool completely, then frost with
• 8 oz. each cream cheese and unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. each vanilla and almond extracts and 2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar.
• Cream butter and cream cheese together until well-blended. Add extracts and powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Add either milk or powdered sugar to make frosting a good spreading consistency.

Written by: Alexandra Borgmann

Posted in: Food