Happy Valentine’s Month to you all!
Sorry I haven’t been here more often, it’s been mostly health problems. Down a pint of blood but eating a lot of meat and taking iron pills. I will survive!
So, today on the menu is Sweetheart Food.
I decided to make mini cupcakes...my IBTCs ;-)...
When I was little Red Velvet Cakes were all the rage. They were really tasty and us kids wondered how the were so chocolatey and red.
This is recipe from an Adams Extract Handout from the 60’s
Red Velvet IBT Cupcakes
makes about 2 ½ dozen mini cupcakes
Oven 350º
1/4 C shortening (I use an organic vegetarian brand Spectrum)
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp butter flavor (I know, we don’t use this anymore, but it does make it delicious!)
¾ oz red food color (if you use gel you need to add water to compensate for the liquid in the liquid red color)
1 1/2 T sifted unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 C sifted cake flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ C buttermilk
1/2 T cider vinegar
Mix together the shortening, sugar, egg, vanilla, butter flavor and red food color until fluffy. Mix the cocoa, flour, salt and baking soda together. Add the cider vinegar to the liquids and then alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients. Mix well. Using a mini muffin tin add paper liners and fill 2/3rds of the way. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and ice as you will...
Cream Cheese Icing
8oz. Cream cheese
½ cup unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1teaspoon vanilla paste (this makes the icing whiter than just vanilla extract
Mix butter and cream cheese and beat together. Add sugar one cup at a time and the vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Chill if too warm. Use a bag and tip to ice in a swirl of goodness! I topped each one with a Red Hot in the center. This makes a lot.
The second recipe is one I have been making for at least 26 years. Tried and truly delicious!
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Makes 1 9” cake
Heat oven to 350º
Mix together:
1 ½ C flour
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 C granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
Optional: sprinkle of cayenne pepper
Separately mix together
5 T neutral oil like Saffola
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 C cold water or ½ water and ½ coffee
Combine and mix well. Pour into a 9” cake pan or a heart shaped cake pan but line the bottom with parchment paper.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean Let sit 5 minutes and turn out to cool on a rack. I like it just this way. You could ice it or add dried fruits or nuts to the cake.
I used a doily to sprinkle confectioners sugar on the cake, added some cream cheese icing and a coupe of Red Hots.
Now that I’ve made dessert, what’s for dinner at your place?
What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes, talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions.
We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to me, ninkasi23!