Red . . . maybe more pink

I tried my hand at Red Velvet Cupcakes this past Tuesday evening and while I was rather unimpressed by the results, my cast thought they were delightful - even better than the German Chocolate ones I had made previously - doubtful - but that is what they claimed. I was so underwhelmed that I didn't even take pictures but I figure I will share the recipe with you any way just in case you want to try this Southern United States delicacy. Mine weren't very red but more of a salmon pink kind of color. The frosting was fantastic - probably the best part of the whole situation - so fantastic that I think I would make it to frost the Cinnamon Rolls I made.
In other news the play is progressing quite well. A week from tonight we will have an audience which means on Sunday we move up to our stage/set and begin "tech." We have been having a really good time in rehearsals, at times laughing so hard my sides hurt. There is such great experience in the room I find myself hanging on every word when they start to tell stories. Our Director Warner Shook has directed world premiers of some pretty famous plays - Angels In America and The Kentucky Cycle - to name a few and one of our actors: Matthew Arkin has experienced a world in TV and Film that not many have. Matt often tells stories about being on set when his father (Alan Arkin) was filming or working on projects - he remembers once sitting on Audrey Hepburn's lap while holding an ice pack to her shin because she banged it on something while rehearsing or the other day he told us about the time he and his brother were exploring a sound stage that was this big moon scape and only years later as an adult realized it was part of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. I just sit and try to absorb as much as possible. The rest of our cast is wonderful too - John Kapelos, Nike Doukas, and Brett Ryback all have their own stories as well. We finished yesterdays rehearsal at the Westin Bar (A fancy hotel right next to the theatre that features a bar in the entrance) for a drink to finish out our day.
I am counting down the days until company starts arriving too. A good friend from college arrives on Monday and will be around for almost a week and then after that my DAD gets to come visit and then after that my MOM will be here AND then I will very much be on the down hill side of my time at SCR. It is crazy how time flies. But first the recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes:

RED VELVET CUPCAKES


Ingredients

• For the cupcakes:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) red food coloring (I was a little short of this which is probably why mine were more pink than red)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups cake flour (I used the internet to find a substitute because I did not have cake flour on hand)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• For the frosting:
• 8 oz cream cheese (I left mine on the counter while I mixed up the cupcakes to soften it a bit)
• 5 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used 1 1/12 cups of powdered sugar for a lighter frosting)

Instructions

1. *To make the cupcakes:
2. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with baking liners or grease and flour the muffing cups.
3. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high for two minutes. Mix in one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Turn mixer off and add food coloring and cocoa powder to bowl. Turn on low until just incorporated and then beat on medium for 4 minutes.
5. Sift together the flours, salt, and baking soda and set aside. Stir buttermilk and vanilla together. Add dry ingredients to the bowl in three batches, alternately with the buttermilk in two batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat on medium until just combined. Add sour cream and vinegar and beat on low until combined.
6. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 25-35 minutes until the cupcakes test done with a toothpick. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a rack.
7. *To make the frosting:
8. Cream cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on med-high speed. Sift the powdered sugar after measuring.
9. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl in batches, beating on low until just combined and then beating on high until desired consistency is reached.
10. For a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar.