Another Order!

Last night, I got sucked in to the world of Oprah. I have to admire the woman for being so generous. There aren't enough filthy rich people who freely give to the poor people like me. Last night she had someone do some home makeovers for people in need. Then, thinking out loud, I said that Oprah should give me my bakery. Glenn said I should send her some cupcakes. Hmm... not a bad idea. I think I might actually make cupcakes and send them to Oprah sometime.

Right now I am getting really frustrated with certain things. I want a bakery so bad it hurts. I spend every moment thinking about how I want to design the inside, what I want it to look like, what I want to name my cupcakes... you get the idea. It's all nice to think about until you feel like your dream keeps floating away. This stuff costs money. A lot of money actually. I don't have that money. I can't get a loan, at least not right now. My patience is terrible. Then I go and watch shows like Kitchen Nightmares and see people having restaurants they don't deserve to have. If I had a fraction of their money, I could have my bakery and thrive. It's all I want right now. Actually, for once in my life, it is something I am 100% sure of. Well, I take that back, because I had no doubts about my husband. But as far as material things go, this is it. This is what I want to do with my life. This is what I love.

I really needed to get that out there. My husband can only hear me say it so many times. He's so supportive, and I think he wants it as bad as I do. His reasoning may be different, but ultimately, he wants to make me happy. I'm so lucky. I suppose I should stop complaining.

I get so excited when someone asks if they can "hire" me to make cupcakes for them. It's so exciting and it kind of validates my love of baking. One of my coworkers, Joette, asked if I could make her a dozen cupcakes for T-Day for her. I didn't really have to ask what kind she wanted, because I already knew her answer. Red Velvet. Yay, I love tasting the leftover batter. It's so tangy and sweet and perfect.

Here's the recipe for the Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting that I am making for Joette. Hooray 15 bucks for 12 cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tablespoons red food coloring (you can omit this, I usually do)
1 teaspoon white vinegar (lemon juice is okay too)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

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

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

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

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

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
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.