Ingredients

• Cupcakes
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose or cake flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, (preferably unsalted) at room temperature
• 2 large eggs


• Frosting
• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (preferably unsalted), at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F. If you are not using paper or aluminum foil cupcake holders, spray 2 12-cupcake cupcake tins with nonstick spray. If using cupcake holders, arrange holders in cupcake tins. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract until well-blended. Set aside.

In an electric mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and beat until smooth and well-blended. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, stopping mixer once or twice to scrape sides and bottom of mixer bowl to incorporate all ingredients.

Spoon cupcake batter into muffin tins, filling to about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 17 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes and allow to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to completely cool. (Tip: If cupcakes seem slightly stuck to sides, gently rock back and forth to loosen before removing. For those difficult to remove cupcakes, a smooth smooth table knife may be inserted down the sides of cupcakes to loosen. Tilting the cupcake tin at a slight angle makes removing cupcakes a little easier.)

Frosting
In an electric mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth and no lumps remain. Add vanilla extract and briefly beat again. Add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth. Apply to cupcakes using a baker's frosting tool or a table knife.(Note: Frosting can also be applied by placing frosting in a plastic bag, cutting a small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag, then squeezing though the corner hole onto cupcakes.)

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. For optimum flavor and texture, allow to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes after removing from the refrigerator before eating. May also be frozen in an air-tight container and thawed out when ready to serve.