Lofthouse Cookie Truffle Red Velvet Cupcakes
Why do people feel offended for me when I tell them I’m baking my own birthday cupcakes? I like to bake, and this way I know I’m getting something good. And these cupcakes are good, I mean like I-just-touched-a-Backstreet-Boy good. (I don’t know from experience, but I’m sure it’s pretty amazing. And just a heads up, I’m still interested if any of you want to help me work that out.)
As you may well know, I enjoy many things. I also enjoy putting together the things I enjoy to create an even MORE enjoyable thing. Two of my favorite sweets are red velvet cake and Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies. So what could be better than sticking one in the other?
Lofthouse Cookie Truffle Red Velvet Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)
The truffle recipe is simple: 10 Lofthouse cookies and 2oz of cream cheese pulsed together in a food processor gets you 30 2t-sized truffles. You only need 24; you know what to do with the rest.
I got the recipe for the red velvet cake and ermine icing (once you taste this stuff, you’ll forget cream cheese ever existed) from my bestie’s mom.
Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
– 1/2c shortening
– 1 1/2c sugar
– 2 eggs
– 2T cocoa
– 1oz (one ounce) red food coloring
– 1t vanilla
– 1/2t salt
– 1c buttermilk
– 2 1/2c cake flour
– 1 1/2t baking soda
– 1T vinegar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tins.
2. Cream shortening, sugar and eggs.
3. Make a paste of the cocoa and food coloring and add it to the creamed mixture.
4. Blend together salt, vanilla and buttermilk. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture to the creamed mixture, then add 1/3 of the cake flour. Alternate until both the buttermilk and the flour are mixed all up in there.
5. Combine vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl and let sit until it stops fizzing.
6. Fold the vinegar mixture into the batter.
7. Scoop 1.5T of batter into the bottom of each cupcake tin, lightly press in a Lofthouse Cookie Truffle and top with 2t more of batter. (There will be left over batter. Do with it what you will.)
8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and let cool completely.
Ermine Icing
Ingredients
– 7 1/2T flour
-1 1/2c whole milk
– 1 1/2c (3 sticks) butter, softened
– 1 1/2c sugar
– 1 1/2t vanilla
– 5 Lofthouse cookies, crumbled by hand
Directions
1. Cook flour and milk on stove until thick and let cool until cold.
2. Move thickened milk mixture to your handy-dandy electric mixer, add in the butter, vanilla, and sugar, and beat until the icing is of spreading consistency (6 to 8 minutes). The icing may look a little bit funky until it’s done.
3. Top each cupcake with a generous 1.5T of frosting and then roll the tops of the cupcakes in the Lofthouse Cookie crumbles.
Best. Birthday. Cupcakes. Ever. I promise that if you put in the time and effort to make these, you will be richly and decadently rewarded.
