Day 5&6: A Manicure & Red Velvet Cupcakes

So... I missed day 5 yesterday! Yeah about that. Between sleeping in until early afternoon, church, and the superbowl... this little bloggy got left behind.

But no worries, I consolidated day 5 and 6 for today. Don't fret my pet.

Anyways, Happy Monday! I'm currently laying in my bed listening to this song on full blast on repeat until for um EVER.

They play it at Zumba and I might be that crazy girl who goes to Zumba, but I kind of love it. 

 

So let's talk Valentine's. Are you sick of it yet? Sorry I'm not sorry.

I did this manicure the other day, inspired from Cupcakes and Cashmere (as always), and I really loved how it turned out. It wasn't your typical red and pink color scheme, but still feminine with a touch of fab. And doing one nail a different color adds so much to a paint job! 

What I used:

Essie "Ballet Slippers"

China Glaze "Icicle"

You know the rest... I used an OPI base and top coat, Ballet Slippers for all my fingers except my ring finger, then used Icicle for my ring finger.

And now onto the delicious part of this post. Last year I made red velvet cupcakes. And while they looked pretty with pink frosting and non-perils, they tasted like rocks. I had the nerve to serve them to a few people, who proceeded to ask if they were BRAN FLAVORED. I don't do bran flavored anything. I haven't tried to make them since, only because it was so embarrassing and not worth the effort. 

I finally got the courage to try them again, with the help of a few baking-expert friends. And they turned out great! The recipe was not difficult to follow and made pretty cupcakes perfect for any Valentine's Day treat.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted by Lion House

For the cupcakes:

2/3 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c. red food coloring

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the shortening on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. One at a time, add your eggs, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides if necessary. 

In a separate small bowl, combine the food coloring and cocoa powder to make a paste. Add the paste to the shortening mixture and beat until well combined. 

In another small bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) and set aside. In ANOTHER (not conducive to an easy cleanup) small bowl, combine the buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla. 

Starting with the dry ingredients, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter, then with mixer on low, combine until just incorporated. Add the buttermilk mixture and combine until just incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat on low until the batter has just come together.

Pour batter into your prepared cupcake tins, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool completely.

My baking beauty.

For the Frosting:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

5 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of your mixer/hand mixer and slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add the vanilla and then beat until fluffy and creamy. Pipe or spread over cooled cupcakes. 

 Hey I heard you were a wild one.