Athlete's Palate: Dessert First

I must have sounded really good.

Like I really had things together around here.

You know, like committing to running three days a week for the next eight weeks. Or, purchasing the cookbook “The Athlete’s Palate,” which has loads of healthy recipes for endurance athletes.

But somehow — totally on accident, of course — I skipped to the dessert section. 

We’re starting with Red Velvet Cupcakes.

Don’t judge me. If it’s in this cookbook, they must be good for you. Plus, my mom was throwing a Valentine’s Day party and as an attendee I was required to bring a red, white, or pink dessert.

This cupcake recipe was contributed to the cookbook by Beth Pilar and Ellen Sternau, who collaborate at their New York City bakery How Sweet It Is. 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 ½ cake flour (I only had all-purpose)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon vinegar

Frosting
8 oz. of cream cheese (at room temperature)
½ pound unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 325° F. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, mix the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vanilla extract and vinegar. Combine wet and dry ingredients and fill your greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full with the batter. The recipe says to cook the cupcakes for 15-20 or until the cupcakes spring back when you touch them.

Since everyone coming to the party was supposed to bring a dessert, I decided to make them mini cupcakes, because people were going to have plenty of sweets. The mini cupcakes took about 15 minutes, so if you are going with smaller cupcakes, 15 minutes is probably the longest time you’ll need. Cook in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove them too cool completely.

And now, we have come to the frosting.

This is when you know you are making something good:

Make sure your cream cheese and butter is at room temperature and mix together until smooth. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar in batches and then add the vanilla extract.

The frosting makes a ton, and I don’t believe in going crazy on the frosting. It’s against my morals.

But, if you like more frosting than cupcake, you go ahead and do that.  If you decide to eat the leftover frosting with a spoon and nothing else, I won’t tell anyone.

Then, sprinkle on some colored sugar and make the cupcakes look all pretty. Or, if you're like me, try to make them look pretty. Sometimes it works out, but usually it doesn't.

Pretty or not, these cupcakes will still taste ridiculously good. Believe me.

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