Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

CUPCAKES


1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 T red food coloring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. While mixing at medium speed, gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture until just combined. Fill cupcake liners. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until an insterted toothpick comes out clean.

ICING
1 stick room temp. butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
a dash of almond extract
Maple Syrup (I just dump it in)
Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until spreadable consistency. Add additional sugar if needed.

This is what the boy is getting for his birthday cupcakes!  I get the recipe from this site.  I'll take my own pictures and let you know how it goes!!

I also picked up some cupcake liners that I think are super cute for my Navy-boyfriend.  They're little pirate cupcake liners that have little skull flags to put into the cupcake.

Birthday Boy!

This year the boy is turning the big 33!  Actually, his birthday is on Thursday.  I won't likely see him until Friday or Saturday, but I've decided to make him cupcakes.  I bought little pirate cupcake foils with little pirate flags to go in them.  I also bought two 'three' candles to put in  two of them (since you can't actually buy a '33' candle).

I'm mulling over a few ideas, but I think I'm going to make dark chocolate cakes with marshmallow frosting (think Fluff).

Here is the recipe for the frosting:

Marshmallow Frosting
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 large egg whites
1 jar (about 7 ounces) marshmallow fluff
1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut extract

Put sugar, water and eggwhites in a medium sized heavy saucepan, cooking on low heat beating continuosly with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove the pan from heat and add the marshmallow fluff, beating with the mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more. Make sure you make this after your cupcakes are cooled, if it sits around it will dry out and you won't be able to spread it.
 
Thoughts?  Got another Fluff Frosting recipe?