I'm Seeing Red

Before I left yesterday to visit my b'friend Russ on Cayuga Lake, I baked, frosted, decorated, and delivered 50 red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to my friend Barb Doane.  Today, Barb is hosting a bridal shower for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.  Barb asked for red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and the only instructions she gave me were that they should have red flowers.  When I was in AC Moore the other day (home away from crafty home) I found very cute red cupcake liners with white polka dots.  So, with all my other baking out of the way, I got up at 6 am  yesterday and baked 50 cupcakes. I must admit to taking the efficient route this time: I used Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix because 1) I didn't want to use THAT much red food coloring (2 jars!), and 2) it's very good.  I saw  no need to argue with success!  Of course, my cream cheese frosting is from scratch, and I colored and shaped the fondant decorations, so other than the cake itself, these were authentic, home-baked cupcakes, made with lots o' love!

Here's a collage of the cupcakes under construction:

And here's the frosting recipe for you:

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(enough for 50 cupcakes!)

In large mixer bowl, beat:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

4 oz. soft butter (1 bar)

Add: 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix well.

With mixer at VERY low speed, slowly add:

2 lbs. 10x confectioners sugar, with:

Milk, a few tablespoons at a time, careful not to add too much.

When the frosting has reached a spreadable consistency, not too soft, stop adding milk and continue to beat until very creamy.  I like to make it a little on the firmer side for piping through my pastry bad, so I am very conservative with the milk.  It's one of those things where you just have to do it yourself and stop when it looks right. 

After delivering the cupcakes, I came home and deglazed from all the sugar took a shower and headed west to Cayuga Lake where I spent some overdue time with Russ.  He has a lovely pool so we spent the afternoon swimming, joined by his neighbors Brooke and Matt (expecting their first baby any day) and cooked out.  Russ had marinated sirloin steaks in a southwest marinade, and I made a salad with what I could find in his bachelor refrigerator:  a bag of iceberg lettuce, feta cheese with tomato and basil, a jar of spanish olives, and some bottled parmesan olive oil dressing (all surprisingly delicious!).  For dessert, we had chunks of watermelon and it turned out to be a perfect summer dinner, topped off with a gorgeous sunset over Cayuga Lake.  

I love summer but especially summer weekends!