Red Velvet Cupcakes... Rose Colored Velvet Cupcakes?

I'm still on holiday. We officially start school at our new campus next Monday! Since it's cold and raining outside, I decided to whip up something sweet inside. I decided on Red Velvet Cupcakes. I researched and found a few recipes that looked great. I decided to try the recipe from girlsinaprons.blogspot.com.

Halfway through, I came to realize that I didn't have all the ingredients (whoops!). So... I had to substitute here and there. I'm sure the recipe is awesome, but I had to tweak it. Feel free to share your thoughts! (: 

To see the actual recipe, here's the link: http://girlsinaprons.blogspot.com/2013/03/red-velvet-cupcakes.html

First off, I didn't have all-purpose flour at home (I thought I did). I did, however, have cake flour! Thus I used cake flour (I found out on the internet to put 2 extra tablespoons of cake flour to be equivalent of 1 cup of all-purpose flour, so I adjusted it). 

Second of all, I didn't have baking soda. On the internet, I found out that I could substitute baking powder for baking soda, which I did, and added a bit more. 

Thirdly, I ran out of vegetable oil (go figure)! So I used another kind of oil, similar to vegetable oil. 

Fourthly, I couldn't find buttermilk. Thus I substituted with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar in a measuring cup, and poured milk into the cup until it reached 1 and 1/2 cups total. I let it sit for 5 minutes. 

Here is where things became interesting. I didn't have the right food coloring either! (It's hard to find baking ingredients in China...clearly) I bought a Rose color for icing. I decided to use it and experiment! The color is lighter...like roses! The color was very light, and nothing like red velvet. But! After putting in the dry ingredients (with cocoa powder), the color became darker, similar to red velvet. Whew! 

I baked it at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 180 degrees Celsius, for about 25 minutes. 

The cake is very moist (could bake it a little longer) and the taste is there. My mom thought the cupcake was too moist, but loved the frosting! I hope to get the right ingredients next time and try it again. (:  

Reminder-- let the cupcake cool completely before putting the frosting on (mine was still a tad bit warm, so the frosting was slowly melting). I did put the frosting in the refrigerator for a couple minutes so it's not too soft, which was better. 

Here are some pictures of the finished product. 

Love for SWEETS

Any of you enjoy baking? Have a sweet tooth? Come and join me as I explore different recipes! Feel free to share any of your baking adventures too! (:

Resources

Below are some resources that I use in my first grade classroom. Enjoy! :)

First Post of the Year

Hey there!

First of all, thank you for visiting my site! You've made my day. Really.

As I continue into my third year as a teacher, I want to keep learning, growing, and to remember the adventures I've had with my past kiddos (with age and kids changing every year, it does get a little harder :))! Which is why...this site was born!
I also love, love, love reading blogs, researching and receiving resources from teachers around the world. I am grateful they share their resources with fellow teachers, like me, and I'd like to do the same!

With this site, as I share my adventures, I'll also have resources that hopefully may help you in your classroom!
Baking is also one of my hobbies, so from time to time, I may share some recipes too! (:

I'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, questions, anything! So fire away in the comment box below!

Without further ado... Let the Adventures Begin.