Recipe: Chocolate Chip Red Velvet cupcakes

I absolutely love Paula Deen and I love her recipe for Red Velvet Cake. It comes out wonderfully moist and delicious. Here's my version as cupcakes with chocolate chips and a cream cheese frosting!

Homemade Chocolate Chip Red Velvet Cupcakes before frosting

For the Red Velvet Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 tablespoons of semi-sweet cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups olive oil (or another lighter oil such as canola or sunflower oil)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring (but you only need a few drops)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 a package of semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

For the cream cheese frosting:
1/2 cup margarine
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 a box confectioners' sugar (depending on your taste), sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla


For the Red Velvet Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cupcake tins.

Cream the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl.

Sift the flour, baking soda and cocoa into the sugar and egg mixture. As far as I'm concerned, the more cocoa you add, the better the cupcakes will taste and the darker your red velvet will look (I've occassionally been so overzealous that my red velvet has wound up simply looking like chocolate cake).

In a separate bowl mix the oil, vinegar, food coloring (add until you get the desired redness, remembering that the coco will later make it appear richer), and vanilla together. Add slowly to the other bowl along with the buttermilk, beating continuously until well blended. Blend in the chocolate chips. The more the better!

Once smooth with no lumps, pour the batter into the cupcake tins about 3/4 of the way full. Tap to even out the batter and release air bubbles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Cream the margarine and cream cheese well when at room temperature. Add sugar and beat until mixed but not to the point that it loses its shape. Mix in the vanilla and put in the fridge until ready for use. I like to put the frosting into a ziplock bag, cut of the tip and decorate the cupcakes with a large swirl pattern. Sprinkle the finished cupcakes with a light dusting of cocoa powder.