Blue Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Adapted from Paula Deen)

Red velvet cupcakes are a classic, but somehow blue makes them taste just a tad better. By the way, the night I made these was also the night I drunkenly taught Boyfriend how to pipe frosting. It did not go very well...

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 ounces blue food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (You can also use regular milk with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 
  

Frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
• 
  

Cake:

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line pans for 24 cupcakes.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

Pour batter into pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and blend until smooth. Pipe onto cupcakes!