These cupcakes were my contribution to our neighborhood National Night Out. It’s a fun night with the neighbors – people bring treats, the wine is plentiful, and we always wind up way past the official end time of 9pm.

I think red velvet is mostly about the visuals – strikingly red cake contrasted with white cream cheese frosting – rather than the flavor. The cupcakes have the promise of chocolate, but it’s just barely there when you take a bite. The frosting is sometimes good, but more often than not it’s dense and cloyingly sweet.

My mind has been changed about red velvet. The cupcakes are moist with a light, tender crumb. They still don’t have an explosive chocolate flavor, but that’s okay. The buttercream is cinnamon flavored, NOT pure white, and it’ll knock your socks off. I love these cupcakes.

In the book this is made as a layer cake, but it’s simple to convert to cupcakes instead.

• Red Hot Velvet Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream (Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, p. 47)