I love to bake cakes or hand make gifts for my friends' birthdays

And one of my good friends always requests red velvet cake!

She came into town recently and I pulled out his recipe that I thought I'd share!

I can't even remember where I found the recipe for these but its been my go to ever since.

Mostly because I can use mix from a box as a base

But also because it tastes like its home made (with a lot less work)!

Cake Ingredients:

1 package of Germain Chocolate Cake Mix

1 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 bottle of red food coloring

 3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350F and line 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes).

2) Place cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, eggs and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Mix on low for 1 minute, medium speed 2-3 minutes and then divide the batter in each cupcake liner.

3) Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger (18-22 minutes).

4) Let cool before icing.

It wasn't looking red enough so I added more...

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese at room temperature.

8 tbsp (1 stick) of butter at room temperature

3 3/4 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined (~30 seconds). Stop the machine, and add the sugar a bit at a time blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well incorporated (~1 min).

2. Add the vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy.

3. Ice your cupcakes! Use at once or refrigerate! (Note: I actually put my icing in a ziplock bag and cut the corner off to ice the cupcakes. Pretty much because Im lazy and it looks better than just spreading it on... it gets weird when you try it with chocolate. You've been warned).

Okay so I am not the best froster

But its not about what's on the outside.

"Don't judge a cupcake by its cover?"

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the saying.

Xo, Kasi