Cocktail Cupcakes: Chrysalis Sarah's Patio Red Velvet Cake

What do you get when you mix my two favorite things: Red Wine, and Chocolate. A damn good cupcake, that's what.

This cupcake creation started with a wine tasting at Chrysalis Vineyards, where the view is amazing, and the wine is ... good. Seriously, I enjoy the wine, but part of me feels like I like it that much more than I should because I'm sitting on a grassy field, child playing and running nearby, friends drinking and eating picnic food. Lots of laughing all around. It's just simply a great day (unless you get kicked out, but that's another story).

Ahhh ... the view at Chrysalis ... you forgot about work already, didn't you?

Norton is a big wine for them, and they do a lot of wines with it. If you don't like Norton, you won't like Chrysalis.

That being said, one of my favorites at this vineyard is Sarah's Patio Red. It's sangria-like, served cold, and great on a sunny summer day. Chrysalis can explain it better than I can (I just drink the stuff, I don't "date it"):

Chrysalis Vineyards Sarah's Patio Red (whole cluster pressed Norton rosé)
The wine in this bottle is unique - unlike any you've ever tasted. Named in honor of our ancestral patron at Chrysalis Vineyards, it's made from 100% Norton, the almost-forgotten great American grape. You'll find the alluring fruit flavors and aromas in this wine simply irresistable. And Norton's natural acidity is in perfect balance with this sweet fruitiness. A revolutionary new wine, Sarah's Patio Red is perfect for all occasions when friends gather to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. We suggest you serve it chilled, to emphasize its fresh fruit flavors and sweet-tart balance.

Chef Hump (really, I can't make that up) does some of the tastings, and suggested one day that you use this wine in chocolate brownies or chocolate cake in place of the called for water. And that's exactly what I did. Since I didn't have chocolate cake on hand I used Red Velvet (good enough, has chocolate in it, and goes with the wine color).

A note on box cake mix. I have no idea which is better. Honestly, I buy whatever is on sale, so I would say, if it's more that $1.25 (at most), skip it and wait until there's a sale.

Hi, I'm only $1.00 if you buy me on sale

For the frosting, I pulled from my now go-to starter frosting website and used a basic butter cream, and added to the mixture some of the Patio Red.  Honestly, I didn't measure - estimate it was a glug or two, and I think next time I'll go for more, or go for making chocolate butter cream (ewe, melting candy peices ... so boring - and another pot to clean). One day that will be appealing to me, until then, plain butter cream whipped up while the cupcakes are baking is good enough for me.

Buttercream Frosting

Yields about 8 cups of frosting (enough to fill and frost a 9" round cake - 3 layers)

• 2 pound bag of powdered sugar
• 1 cup milk or water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 sticks butter, cut into ½ inch slices
• 2 ¼ cups shortening (not butter flavor)

1. using the whisk attachment on your electric mixer, mix the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk or water at low speed until smooth and creamy.
2. add butter, one slice at a time, until incorporated
3. Add shortening and whip at highest speed 10-12 minutes, until almost doubled in volume

A lot of "work" to get it balanced on the wine glass if you ask me ...
this is as fancy as I get ... and as fancy as my wine glasses get.