Weeknight Baking: Red Velvet Cupcakes

This past week was Staff Appreciation Week at school.  The school day would not run nearly as smoothly without the tireless work of our amazing support staff.  They're so often "behind the scenes," running a literacy group, supporting a student in math, or reading a social story with a special needs student.  Unfortunately, these individuals often go without the praise and recognition they deserve.  Being an instructional aide is a low-paying, often thankless, tough job - I know from experience, I used to be one prior to teaching!  But their role is essential, they are crucial cogs in the living, breathing machine that is a school.  

Throughout the week we had our students write letters of thanks to these individuals, recognizing their efforts in and out of the classroom.  On Thursday, to culminate the week with a sweet treat, I made cupcakes on behalf of my first grade team.  I chose Red Velvet Cupcakes, a semi-homemade recipe I borrowed from my friend Lindsay, who made four of these cakes at my sister's engagement bash!  Paired with cream cheese frosting and red + white sprinkles, these cupcakes were a hit!

Chocolate or Red Velvet Cake
- One box of red velvet OR chocolate cake mix
- One box of jello pudding mix
- One cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- One cup milk chocolate chips
- One cup sour cream (I used 1 tub of plain greek yogurt)
- 2/3 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of oil
- A splash of vanilla
- 4 eggs

Mix all the wet ingredients first and slowly add in the jello pudding mix and cake mix.  Add the chocolate chips last and mix everything well.  Spray a bundt pan with Pam for Baking and then cook at 350 for about 45 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.  You can also make this as cupcakes, just bake 15-20 minutes instead.  Enjoy :)

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