Mini Pink Velvet Cupcakes

I love red velvet cupcakes. I love the tangy cake paired with the sweet cream cheese icing. I have experimented with blue velvet cupcakes, but they were awful and bitter. You were able to taste the blue food coloring. I stayed away from all other colors of velvet until recently when I decided to make pink velvet cupcakes for my coworker's baby shower. She loves red velvet, but since she is having a girl, I wanted to make them pink. I was going to use my old standby, use pink food coloring, and omit cocoa, but I didn't want to mess with the recipe since it's perfect. I did a quick search online and found a recipe for pink velvet. It doesn't use cocoa, vinegar, or oil like my favorite recipe, but it does use buttermilk and butter. I was skeptical that these would be dry because of the butter, but boy was I glad that I was wrong. They were perfectly tender and tangy—just like red velvet cupcakes should be.

Mini Pink Velvet Cupcakes
Source: Taste of Home via Pinterest

1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 and 1/4 cups white sugar
a few drops pink food coloring
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line four mini cupcake tins with 48 paper cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and food coloring until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture in three additions, ending with the flour mixture.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 10–14 minutes.

Remove cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese (room temperature)
1 stick butter (room temperature)
4–6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat well until spreading consistency.