Brand new.

Even though I have been reading others blogs for years, this is my first attempt at blogging, and I must admit, I am pretty excited. So just a little about me. My name is Devan and I attend college here in the South where I am completely focused on my studies, obsessed with my sorority, and still looking for that sweet Southern gentleman to sweep me off my feet. My posts will give you a look into my life, some of my favorite recipes, and random things that excite me. :)

Speaking of things that excite me, trying new recipes is always an exciting task in my eyes. With that said, my little cousin is turning 17 tomorrow. He is always complaining that he gets cheated because his birthday is so close to Christmas, and this may be true especially from me since I am a poor college student. So as a way to try to sweeten him up a bit, I am baking his favorite, red velvet. I, on the other hand, have never even had red velvet cake, so I looked to my cooking hero, Paula Deen, for guidance.

Paula's Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

I'll be sure to let y'all know how they turn out! :) 
What is your favorite cake for your birthday?