Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cupcakes so tender, flavorful, and moist, no one will suspect a thing.

I have a dirty little secret.

These cute, delicious cuppies were made from a mix - the frosting and everything!

It was an experiment of sorts. I scored this mix for 50 cents with a coupon! I wanted to see how it was from a mix before I try my hand at homemade red velvet. I served these at a cook-out and no one was the wiser. They snatched them up very quickly. They were taking the leftovers home without me even offering! Lol.

So I guess you could call it a success. Next time, home made! ;) (Just so you know I'm not completely lazy, I also made 4 dozen cookies from scratch - does that redeem me?)

The box is supposed to make 12 regular sized cupcakes but I decided to make them mini! I made 37 mini cupcakes. Weird.

You add butter and water to the frosting mix. I didn't add as much water as the instructions stated because I wanted a stiffer frosting to pipe with. I actually ran out of frosting and had to use about 1/2 cup of my own cream cheese frosting.

So, if you're in a time crunch or want to try red velvet for the first time, I recommend this cake and frosting mix. :)

Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cupcake Mix with frosting pouch
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water 
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1-4 tsp water
• 4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick), softened

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin pan with baking cups or spray with cooking spray. 
2. Mix contents of the large pouch into a large bowl. With a handheld mixer, beat on low speed until moistened (no dry pockets). Spoon batter evenly into the cupcake liners, about 2/3 - 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Begin to check at 9 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Overbaking can lead to dryer cupcakes. Cool 5-10 minutes in pan and then remove to cool completely. On the second batch, place the remaining 12 liners dispersed throughout the pan, rather than all on one side. This ensures even baking. 
4. As the cupcakes cook, prepare the frosting. Beat the softened butter on high for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Slowly add frosting mix to butter while mixing on low speed. Add 1 tsp of water while mixing. Continue to add the remaining teaspoons of water if a thinner frosting is desired. Scrape sides of bowl. Continue mixing for 2 minutes. 
5. Frost cupcakes as desired. (I cut the tip off the provided piping bag, inserted a small round tip, and filled the bag with frosting. I then piped a small swirl on each cupcake.) Note: The directions on the box instruct you to pipe some frosting inside the cupcake, however, with mini cupcakes, this will not work. Enjoy!

 Makes about 36 mini cupcakes or 12 regular. Recipe adapted from Duncan Hines.

Process Photos: