Red Velvet…Again

I’ve had an obsession with red velvet cake during this pregnancy.

Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.

And I’ve had this idea for cupcakes rattling around in my head for quite some time. As in months. Back before Thanksgiving, even, when Mimi bought a Red Velvet Cheesecake just because I wanted some.

I decided it was time to bring this idea to fruition. I had no idea how it would taste, but I had to give it a shot. Maybe you can use it for Valentine’s Day. Or maybe, if you’re like me, you’ll just make it and realize what a huge mistake it is to have this sitting in your house and start farming it out to your friends.

I will be shocked, shocked if this baby girl doesn’t come out hot pink due to all the red food coloring I’ve ingested over the last several months.

First, make red velvet cupcakes. (Yes, I used a mix. I’m not that fancy.)

Warning: You will get “red” in places you never thought you could get “red.” Be careful with this stuff! Definitely not a time to let the toddler help out. Unless you want him stained red, too.

My cupcakes never come out just the right size. I either put too much or too little batter in them and then either underbake or overbake. The thought of overbaking freaks me out, just in case I haven’t said that before.

I made my cupcakes the night before so I wouldn’t be tempted to try to mess with them while they were too warm.

The next day, I used my apple corer to make holes in them for the filling.

You’ll end up with these little red beauties, too.

Hang onto them so you can top off your filled cupcakes. If you want to. It’s perfectly fine to leave them un-topped and just frost over the filling. (I’ve been told you can fill cupcakes without making holes in them, but I wanted to make sure to get lots of filling in these!)

For the filling, mix cheesecake-flavored pudding and milk, then fold in a tub of Cool Whip.

It’ll look like this when you’re done. FOLD, don’t stir. You want that Cool Whip to stay nice and fluffy.

Set aside some of the filling, then fill a cupcake-filler piping bag. I bought a cupcake kit at Walmart several months back. I’ve been itching to use it again!

Then fill the cupcakes!

And replace your little red plugs if you want to, which I did but neglected to photograph. I refrigerated the cupcakes so the filling could set. Also, I needed to do a couple of other things. Like letting my Sous Chef lick the spatula.

And after all the spatula licking, I forgot to take photos of the frosting-making process. It’s cream cheese, butter, vanilla, lots of powdered sugar, and the set-aside filling. Here’s the finished frosting.

I let the frosting chill for a while because I wanted it to be fluffy and hold its shape once I piped it on. It worked much better after I’d let it set in the fridge for a while.

Then, I piped the frosting onto the cupcakes and immediately put them back in the fridge.

And it was good. It was all good.

I wanted to take a couple to my doctor’s appointment the next day (for the doctor, not as a snack in the waiting room), so I put them into little favor/Chinese takeout boxes. I found these at Walmart in the party favor aisle.

I nestled a little shredded confetti down in the bottom to keep the cupcakes from sliding around.

Jill and Brandon came over on Tuesday night, and Jill tested them for me. She approved. And realizing how dangerous these cupcakes are, I gladly shared with some of my friends at MOPS on Wednesday. They met with approval there, as well. Matt even tried to get Sara to give hers up…unsuccessfully, I might add. I also took a few over to Mom & Dad’s, where they were devoured rather quickly, even fought over.

I’m glad to know it’s not just the pregnancy telling me these are good. I have the taste buds of non-pregnant people to back it up. So make yourself some Red Velvet “Lovecakes” and enjoy!

Red Velvet “Lovecakes”

Red Velvet Cupcakes (I use a mix. If you want a recipe from scratch, this is not the place for it.)

Apple Corer, grapefruit spoon, or kitchen knife to hollow out cupcakes.

When completely cool, hollow your cupcakes and get ready for the filling! (If you have a decorating tip, you won’t have to necessarily hollow them out, you can just squirt the filling down into the cupcake. But I think if you’re going to fill them, fill them up!)

Filling

1 box Jell-o pudding, cheesecake flavor

1 cup milk

1 tub Cool Whip (regular size)

Whisk pudding mix and milk together until thick and pudding mix is completely dissolved. Carefully fold in the Cool Whip, don’t stir.

Set aside about 2 cups to use in the frosting. (Store in the fridge)

Put into a pastry bag and fill cupcakes. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with the tip of a corner cut off. But that only works if you’ve hollowed out your cupcakes.)

Refrigerate cupcakes to allow filling to set up while you’re making the frosting.

Frosting

8oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Filling set aside earlier

Beat cream cheese and butter until well combined and fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, mix until well blended.

Fold in filling set aside earlier.

Place in the fridge to chill for a while.

Fill a piping bag and frost cupcakes! (You could also just frost with a spatula or knife if that’s what tickles your fancy. They’re still dangerously good.)

Store cupcakes in the refrigerator.