(Red) Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I remember people loved red velvet cupcakes. But it's just cupcakes made from oil and vinegar with a little bit of cocoa and a LOT of red color. I wondered if people would still love them without the red effect. So I made these -- the (red) velvet cupcakes from exactly the same recipe.


Brownish perfectly domed cupcakes

And then I frosted them with Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Buttercream.



The result: I guess how the cupcakes look affects how they taste as well. For some reason, I remember the red velvet cupcakes more velvety than these brownish ones. Maybe it's the frosting. I was a little heavy handed with the alcohol. But isn't that a good thing? More alcohol? Maybe the cupcakes are just better with cream cheese frosting.