Spatulatta.com Red Velvet Cupcakes Believe it or not this cake takes a whole bottle of food coloring! But it wouldn't be Red Velvet cake without that rich color. Check out your health food store for vegetable-based food coloring. If you look at the label, you might find it was made from beets. Makes 12-16 cupcakes You'll need 2 1/2 cups of flour 1 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon of salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup of canola oil 1 cup of buttermilk 2 ounces or 1 large bottle of red food coloring 1 teaspoon of vanilla Cooking spray White frosting (see recipe below) Some adult help Equipment: Heart-shaped cupcake pan or foil cupcake cups Measuring cups and spoons A glass liquid measuring cup A large bowl A small bowl A hand mixer A spatula A fork or whisk A large spoon Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put all the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir to mix. Break the eggs into the small bowl and use the whisk to beat a little. Add the oil and buttermilk. Beat again. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and use the mixer to blend. Next, add the food coloring and vanilla. Mix until smooth. If you're using a cupcake pan, spray it with cooking spray. Cupcake cups don't need to be sprayed. Put the cupcakes in the oven for 20-22 minutes. Frost and serve to your favorite Valentine. Creamy Vanilla Frosting This is traditionally made with cream cheese but we made a lighter version. It was so delicious. You'll need 1/2 stick of butter - softened 8 ounces of Neufchatel cheese 1 pound box of powdered sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla Equipment: A large bowl A hand mixer A spatula Put the butter, the Neufchatel cheese, the salt and vanilla in bowl and mix on low until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time until the whole box is totally mixed in. Oh, yummy!