Red Velvet Cupcakes (Gluten-free)

Alas, my dear friend, Emmy, has finally turned 30. The last one of our gang. Emmy loves pink more than almost anything, and so we threw her a pink themed party complete with my red velvet cupcakes -- gluten-free of course. I used my all purpose-flour for the substitution with great success, and I used about half of the powdered sugar for the frosting so that it would taste more like cheese cake than cheap grocery store cake frosting (gag me!!). They were delish. My 1-year-old niece couldn't stop eating it, so I expect she'll have a bright red diaper in the next day or two.

For those of you who don't want to click around:

Red Velvet Cake

• 1/2 c butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 TBSP (heaping) cocoa
• 2 1/4 c of all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 Tsp. Xanthan gum
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP white vinegar
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 ounces (1/4 c) red food coloring
• 1 c buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa and add to the creamed mixture. Add alternate buttermilk with flour, xanthan gum, and salt, then add the vanilla. Add soda to the vinegar. HOLD OVER THE BOWL, AS IT FOAMS! Then add the soda and vinegar to the mixture, blending instead of beating. Bake 25 to 30 mins. at 350 degrees in two 8-inch greased and floured round cake pans. Cool on racks. Using very sharp knife, or dental floss split each layer into 2 layers.

Icing

• 1 stick butter (room temperature)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 lb box of powdered sugar
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix icing ingredients together until light and fluffy. Frost and fill cake.
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And for those of you who requested (I mean out-and-out complained), here is a photo of my two trees. I still don't think it does the trees justice, because Christmas trees are really hard to photograph in a way that shows the whimsy of all the little ornaments.