Red Velvet Cream Filled Cupcakes

What is it about Red Velvet cake that is so appealing? It's a classic Southern dessert that never gets boring. When my new cookbook Southern Living Comfort Food arrived in the mail last week, I could not wait to try a recipe. My middle daughter begged for the Red Velvet cake. The recipe in the book was for a three layer cake but she wanted cupcakes so I cut the recipe in half and made cupcakes instead. Then we decided we wanted to fill the cupcakes with cream, something I'd never done before. But I found out it's super easy. The usual icing for this recipe is cream cheese but my middle one doesn't like cream cheese so I tried another regular white icing. The recipe turned out bad so next time, it's the cream cheese icing. She can just scrape it off :)

Red Velvet Cream Filled Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa

1/8 tsp. baking soda

4 oz sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda in another bowl. Add to butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla; stir in red food coloring. Spoon batter into lined or greased cupcake pan, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes onto a wire cooling rack. Cool throughly.

Filling:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

sugar to taste

Whip the heavy whipping cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Add sugar to taste.

Using a decorator's bag and a long decorating tip (Joann's has these available with the cupcake supplies), fill the bag with the whipped cream. Insert the tip into the top of the cupcake about half way and squeeze the cream inside until the top moves up slightly. Cover with icing. Keep in the refridgerator.

"Cakes nourish much more than the body. They feed the soul."

-Southern Living Comfort Food cookbook