Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love baking. It's my passion. Cooking is fine and all, but I love the sweet, decadent, sinful desserts...which is why my co-workers complain that they only started gaining weight after I was hired. Because most recipes have more than 2 servings, I take the extras to work!! :) So they both love and hate me. Tonight I made Red Velvet Cupcakes from a recipe I found at AllRecipes.com.

This recipe make 30 cupcakes. o_O I definitely didn't need that many, so I halved everything the recipe called for. I am posting the recipe as I found it, so what you see below makes 30 cupcakes (or 60 minis).

Ingredients:
~Cupcakes~
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soad
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 (1 oz) bottle red food color [I used 1/2 of a Safeway 0.25 oz bottle]
2 tsp vanilla extract
~Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting~
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (16 oz) box confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Step 1:
Preheat over to 350F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2:
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy (I do not have an electric mixer, so I used my stainless steel whisk). Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color, and vanilla.

Step 3:
Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed (or by hand) until just blended. DO NOT OVERBEAT!

Step 4:
Spoon batter into 30 paper-line muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Step 5:
Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cook in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

Step 6:
The Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
Beat cream cheese, softened butter, sour cream, and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Step 7:
FROST THE CUPCAKES!!!

Estimated prep time: 20 minutes
Estimated cook time: 25 minutes

My actual total cook time: 52 minutes

My first time making these, and I was only 7 minutes over the estimated timing. Not bad! And...these turned out just like they look....DELISHUS!!! Nom nom nom!!!