Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

As most people have probably realized by now I love Paula Deen's cream cheese frosting. While I also really like her red velvet cupcakes. So the third cupcakes I made for the bake sale were Paula Deen's red velvet cupcakes. I thought they would be a great addition because of the red and white coloring.

Red Velvet cupcake recipe:
makes 24 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

1. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

2. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer.

3. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.

5. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Hershey's Chocolate Graveyard cupcakes

One of my favorite things about Halloween, besides the costums, are the spooky treats. While I was working at a Seattle kitchen shop I was insipred by the graveyard fence cupcake wrappers.

Hershey's chocolate cake
Makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1) Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 12 cupcake pans with wrappers. Set aside.

2) Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3) Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes than transfer to wire cooling rack allow to cool completely.

Cream cheese Frosting by Paula Deen

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1) Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2) Add in vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Decorating the cupcakes

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled use a apple corer or the end of a large frosting tip to hollow out the center of the cupcakes. Than place the lolliepop side of the skeleton lolliepops in the center of the cupcakes.

Place the cupcakes inside the fence wrappers

Color the cream cheese frosting with green coloring gel. Using a number 233 pipe the frosting to look like grass.