Difficutly: very easy
Time: 5 Min
Portion: 1 serving
Ingredients:
Makes about 24 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
For cupcakes–
15-1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3-1/4 cups)
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
13 ounces granulated sugar (about 2-1/3 cups)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red food coloring
1-1/4 teaspoons vinegar (white or apple cider can both work)
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 cup water
For frosting–
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 lb (~4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
Directions:
To make cupcakes–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.
Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
[NOTES: I baked for about 25 minutes.]
To make frosting–
Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. In a separate bowl add the vanilla bean seeds to the powdered sugar and mix until seeds evenly distributed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the butter-cream cheese mixture. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week.
To assemble cupcakes—
Fill pastry bag fitted with 2A “round” tip with frosting and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Garnish with dragee on top.