Cupcake tribute to Gone with the Wind

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Gone with the Wind, Nikki at The Scarlett Rose Garden is hosting a blog party for fans of the movie. Has it really been that long......70 years!

Of course, you realize that Scarlett must not have been a foodie. Even though she was dreaming of biscuits, and desserts after the war had made her penniless. She had to retain her 18 inch waist.

But, what better food to dream of then fried chicken and biscuits with chocolate cake.... or perhaps this Red Velvet Cake. It might not have been around during that time period. We all know it now as a famous Southern dessert. Duncan Hines even makes a version of it in a box cake mix.

Tip of the day: The more red food coloring the redder it gets. This recipe takes 2 of those small bottles from the supermarket.


You can also check out a tribute to Scarlett's beautiful home at Julia's Movie Monday.

There are several different types of red velvet cake. Some are heavier on the chocolate flavor than others, some use less food coloring, and some use beets instead of artificial coloring. This one does not taste like a chocolate cake, although there is a subtle hint of cocoa. The flavor is unique and delicious, and I prefer it to the red velvet cakes that contain more cocoa powder. This cake recipe does not shy away from the food coloring!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it will fizz! Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full). You may not fill all the cups, I ended up with 20 cupcakes. Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t overbake!

5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove . Frost with a delicious cream cheese frosting