Blue Velvet Cupcakes

My friend Kyle's birthday was Thursday, and apparently her favorite cupcake is Red Velvet.  However, when I think of Red Velvet, I think of Christmas time for some reason.  So to avoid the Christmas connotations in my mind, I decided I would make Blue Velvet Cupcakes!  Enjoy!

Next time, I will definitely need to use more blue food coloring. These kind of turned out as a Teal Velvet, but I am okay with that too!

Here's the recipe:

For the Cupcakes:

• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Sticks of Butter at room temperature
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1 Tbsp Blue Food Coloring
• 1 dab Violet Food Coloring (Wilton's is what I used)
• 2.5 Cups of Cake Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 tsp Vanilla 
• .5 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tbsp Vinegar

For the Icing:

• 1 pound Cream Cheese (2 Packages)
• 2 Sticks of Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 Cups of Sifted Confectioners' Sugar

To make these Teal Beauties:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream Sugar and Butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each egg.
3. Mix Cocoa Powder and food coloring, making a paste.  Add to sugar mixture and mix well again.
4. Sift the flour and salt.  Add to the sugar mix a bit at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. 
5. Mix in the vanilla.
6. Combine Baking Powder and Vinegar in a small bowl and add to the batter. Mix just to combine.
7. Fill Cups 2/3 full and bake for 25-30 minutes, but start checking around 20 minutes (mine took right at 25 minutes)

Directions for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth
2. Add the sugar gradually and beat on low until combined.  Then beat on high until light and fluffy.
3. Frost cooled cupcakes and dust with blue sugar/sprinkles/glitter.

**Photography by Andy Richardson