Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

I found a recipe on line that I was excited to try for Red Velvet Cupcakes made from scratch & I was all ready to make them until I could not find 2 bottles of red food coloring to save my life! The recipe called for 2oz. of red food coloring (that's a lot) & told stories of "be prepared to have your hands, kitchen towel, etc. be stained with the dye". But I was still willing to try. When I was unsuccessful at located that much red food coloring, I was somewhat relieved my hands would not be red for a week. I found another recipe that is as simple as can be & it got rave reviews from 12 of my closest friends at our GNO last night (hopefully they weren't just telling me that because they're my friends)! They're topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting so how could they not be? I really wanted to slather my body with cream cheese frosting & let it seep into my pores while I frosted these cupcakes, I resisted......but it smelled that good!

red velvet cupcakes:

1 Red Velvet boxed cake mix (told you it was easy)

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding

3 eggs

1/3 C. oil

1 1/4 C. water

1. Mix cake mix as instructed on box.

2. Dump dry instant pudding mix into batter & mix again.

3. Fill cupcake liners about 1/2 full with batter. Bake 350 degrees 20 mins.

4. Cool completely.

cream cheese frosting:

2-8oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. unsalted butter (one stick), softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 C. powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1. Mix cream cheese & butter until smooth. Blend on slow as you add vanilla, salt & powdered sugar. Once blended, turn mixer on high & blend until nice & fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate. If refrigerated, frosting will need to be brought to room temp (& then blended to smooth again) before using.
I sprinkled some of the cupcakes with white chocolate shavings after I frosted them.
Also made some with Valentine sprinkles for a cute give away! Personally, I'd prefer extra frosting with the white chocolate shavings, but couldn't deny the kids their sprinkles! Enjoy!