Two Recipes for RED VELVET CUPCAKES

TORI SPELLING'S RED VELVET CUPCAKE RECIPE
CUPCAKES:
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

MAKE CUPCAKES:
--pre heat oven to 350
--grease 12 cupcake cups or line with paper liners
--cream softened butter and sugar together till fluffy
--add eggs and blend well
--in seperate small bowl combine cocoa and food coloring and stir. Once you have thick paste then add to mixture.
--sift salt and flour together into mixture
--add vanilla, buttermilk, and water to mixture
--in seperate small bowl combine vinegar and baking soda. Fold into cake mixture
--pour mixture into cupcake cups.
--bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a wood toothpick inserted into middle of cupcake comes out clean.
--let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto rack and let finish cooling.

MAKE FROSTING:
--blend together cream cheese softened and butter softened.
--add powder sugar and vanilla extract
--blend till smooth

FROST CUPCAKES!
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Kelly Ripa's Red Velvet Cupcakes & Cream Cheese Frosting
RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 C. sugar2 eggs
1 C. buttermilk
¼ cup strawberry juice (see below)
2 T. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
1 T. vinegar
1 t. soda (sifted)
2 1/2 C. cake flour
1 t. salt
2 Tb red food coloring (optional, instead of strawberry juice)

Directions:
Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add strawberry juice and cocoa. Add salt to flour and sift. Add flour and buttermilk alternately, mix well. Add vanilla, mix well. Add soda and vinegar and don't beat, just blend. Bake in 8 cupcake tins about 20 minutes at 350. For the strawberry juice: cook a pint of strawberries with ½ cup sugar and juice of ½ a lemon. Let cool. Strain. If the juice is very liquidy, reduce over medium heat to obtain a syrup consistency. OR use food coloring

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 box of confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In bowl of electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, until very smooth with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth.