RED VELVET CAKE for Valentine's Day

                               

Red Velvet Cupcakes ---Sweet!
A baker knows how to measure ingredients; flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Sometimes the cup is short, other times it's filled to over flowing. But, True love can't be measured with a measuring cup. That's where some awesome Red Velvet Cupcakes come in handy! Feeling blue? Have a cupcake! Got great news? Have a cupcake. Found out you're pregnant? Have a dozen cupcakes! They really do make life worth living, especially the Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Heart Shaped Red Velvet Cake
As Valentine's Dat got closer this year, I missed making the heart shaped Red Velvet Cakes we were so well know for in Vermont. Thing is, we always got orders for hundreds, which to many of you would say, "That's a good thing, right?" YES, and NO! You see, we decorated them ALL by hand. Everyone of them were personalized with a loving, or not so loving, sentiment.

Wilton Heart Shaped Non-Stick Pans
I loved these pans! They were clean and shiny, and for the most part, the cakes slid right out of the pans. There were 6 hearts to a pan, and we had 4 pans, so we were in business. John made the batter and baked them, and baked some more, and baked again, and again, until we had enough for our orders, and then some. 

                                       

The Cake Assembly Line
The cakes were popped out of the pans and placed upside down on sugar-dusted parchment lined baking sheets. Then they wre frozen over night. That made it easier to ice and decorate. In the morning, John would trim the bottoms so they layed flat. He than iced them tops and sides, and placed them back on the sheet for me. He'd lick his fingers, I would get after him, it was the things memories were made out of!

                                                                        

Can I Take Your Order, Please?
I had my pastry bags, each one with a small star tip, and the other had a round writing tip. I piped a border all around the top of the cakes. Very simple but it gave it a finished look. Next was time for the messages. We would take specific orders with names of loved ones, something funny or something off-the-wall. I did put my foot down though, when I was asked to do some REAL naughty things.  Nope, not going there! If I felt wide awake (which was questionable), I would make red rosebuds with green leaves. They were so sweet and cute!

                                                                     

The Cakes With No Names
After all the ordered cakes were done, I had my fun! I had a whole slew of slogans and sayings I thought up. Some were the standard messages like "I LOVE YOU" or "Be MINE". But then I got my mo-jo on, and started writing, "TONIGHT?", and "HOT STUFF", or "YES, YES, YES!". That lead to "BITE ME", and "RED HOT", or "ON FIRE", and "OH, BABY!" You get the picture? Every Valentine's Day, we'd go into all our regular stops with blank cakes, and the customers would tell us what they wanted. I did this ON THE SPOT, in the ice cold van with numb hands (remember, it was February in Vermont). John and Brad would bring the list out to me, and after blowing on my hands for 5 minutes, I could get them to work my magic with the pastry bag. And, when I say we did hundreds, I mean hundreds!

                                              

Do I Miss Playing Bakery?
Yes, I do. I asked John that question the other day. He didn't even hesitate. It was a very firm, NO! He loved making the customers happy, but hated the LONG hours, like 40-48 hours without sleep. We were like the walking, talking, decorating dead! But everybody was happy. And, I'll bet if we walked back into those businesses tomorrow, it'd be like old times again. We'd be sold out in a matter of hours! To the good times! If anyone from Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Ferrisburg, Vergennes, Panton or Middlebury are reading this, "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - WE MISS YOU!"

                         

                                                 

Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Oh, you were wondering where the Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting was? As usual, run on over to Suite101, and it's right there, ready for you to crank up the oven and get baking. Print it off for yourself, email it to a friend and tell them you love them! All the buttons are at the bottom of the recipe. Click away happy bakers! Click away!

LOVE, DONNA - XOXO

                                                                       

Comments

[Pearl]

donna. quit it before i get on that boat and kidnap you and your son.

[Caitlin]

What adorable cupcakes! And now I see why you suggested red velvet to Clara's question - sneaky, sneaky! And dangit, another pan I feel I *must* get :)

[Liliana]

love you cupcakes!! I almost bought a cupcake heart shape pan, instead I ended up with a cake heart shaped pan!

I want the cupcakes with the 'feet'!

[betty]

Oh, my...I would try one of these! They are too cute...I've never seen pans shaped like hearts...the cupcakes look delicious!

All your pictures are so appetizing! And your icing (frosting?) looks grand. (Is frosting the noun and icing the verb?) The few times I've tried icing cupcakes or cakes, it usually turns out rather tacky...I just don't have that 'knack' a person needs to be successful in the kitchen!

Love to read all about your endeavors, though.

[Happy Cook]

You know that is indeed a real visual effect all that delicious cup cakes.
My keyboard is full wet as i am drooling here for the cupcake.

[Chuck]

Donna, my bite is worse than my bark Grrrrr. So, be careful what you ask for :)

Your cup cakes look delicious! Can you send me a dozen?

[Cathy-wheresmydamnanswer]

Do you ship. OMG these look amazing!!!

[Elyse]

these are precious! my favorite has to be "tonight?" nothing better than a "forward" cupcake. cupcakes, the new pick-up lines?

[My Sweet & Saucy]

Looks like you are fully stocked for Valentine's day! All of them look so yummy!

[Jennifer]

SO cute!!!! :)

[Amy (Sing for your supper)]

HAAA!!! Love the "Bite Me" cake....you crack me up!

[Deanna]

Everything looks so yummy! Too bad we are not closer, I could run over and have a taste!

[finsmom]

Ive had those silly feet holders in my cupboard for ages, but am yet to use them.. Your cute pics have inspired me to dig them out! Great site!

[[email protected]]

Oh my these cupcakes look sinfully delicious. I had no idea that you were selling them. I *love* the one that says "Bite Me". That really did crack me up. As for making Red Velvet cupcakes I had every intention of doing that butt time escaped me. So I bought the boxed Red Velvet cake mix. I never did use it. I'm sure that it would not be the same as Red Velvet from scratch.

I hope you had a very nice Valentine's day.

Mary

[AmyRuth]

cute little walking cake men. Sounds like you've been busy in the past life. Now like is more calm? Doesn't sound like it. Glad you had a good time going down memory lane.
AmyRuth

[beccabug]

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I was in red velvet cake EMERGENCY MODE (as in, I had never made one and I agreed to make one for a friend's birthday) and I made your red velvet cake recipe (pointed towards this direction by one of your daughters, actually!)

OH MY GOSH, it was AMAZING!

She absolutely LOVED the cake (and the icing!! I'm addicted in a bad way!) and even people who don't usually like red velvet cake were eating lots of it, too. So I deem you "Queen of the Red Velvet Cakes" AND I'm filing this recipe away to make again!

[Next generation star trek]

I love your blog so much, and there are just some differences with others'. Hope there will be more wonderful things in your blog. Happy every day! http://www.star-trek-dvd.com/star_trek/The_Next_Generation/index.html