Big Red Velvet Cupcakes

Life would be meaningless without a little red velvet cake. The tang of this one, with the pop of the icing, is truly a marvel. The food coloring is optional, but the cake is just plain velvet without. I get the best results with gel or powder food coloring, as some liquid red dyes will look pink. (If you do use food coloring, don’t forget to pack a toothbrush and a tube of whitening toothpaste to get rid of the red devil-tongue effect that is part of the deal.) I make these in jumbo-size m