DARK VELVET COLOR RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cake mix, milk, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased (with vegetable shortening) and floured 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 24 to 28 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto wire rack, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and softened butter with heavy-duty stand mixer fitted paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla, beating until blended. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Crumble cooled cake into a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups of cream cheese frosting. (Reserve any remaining frosting for another use.) Roll cake mixture into 48 balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Place balls on baking sheets, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill 8 hours or overnight.
• Melt 1 package of the melting wafers in a medium-size microwavable bowl in microwave according to package directions. Start with 16 cake balls (continue to chill remaining 32 cake balls). Using a fork and working with 1 cake ball at a time, dip ball into melted wafers, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Place ball on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and immediately sprinkle with desired amount of sprinkles or sanding sugars. Repeat with remaining 15 cake balls and melted wafers in bowl, cleaning fork between each dip. Wipe bowl clean, and repeat 2 more times with remaining chilled cake balls and 2 packages of melting wafers, and desired amount of sprinkles. Chill until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line mini cupcake or muffin pans with 48 mini cupcake liners or line regular-size cupcake or muffin pans with 24 regular cupcake liners. 
• In mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, stir together the eggs and oil. In a mixing cup, mix together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract and lightly whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. We are trying to achieve a dark brown, red cupcake color, so add more cocoa powder, if the red is not deep enough. Then add the batter to the mini cupcake liners until they are 3/4-full and bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until done. Alternately, fill the regular-size cupcake liners and bake 22 minutes, or until done. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
• Combine the sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and blend for 2 minutes.