Red Velvet Cupcakes

     I absolutely love red velvet cupcakes. I could always taste the difference between red velvet and chocolate cupcakes but never really knew what the actual difference was. I started researching an found that red velvet uses either butter milk or sour cream which gives it more flavor then just chocolate. It also keeps the cupcakes moist. These cupcakes are full of flavor and are super moist. The cream cheese frosting adds more flavor that makes these cupcakes so irresistible!

Here is the recipe from McCormick:

Serves:

Makes 30 (1 cupcake) servings.

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, soften
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 bottle (1 ounce) McCormick® Red Food Color
2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, soften
1/4 (1/2 stick) butter, soften
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 box (16 ounces) confectioner's sugar

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350°F. For the Cupcakes, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
      
Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

For the Frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes with Frosting.