Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. red food colouring
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 8 oz (250 g) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
3-4 cups icing sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil and eggs until thick. Beat in the food colouring and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk. In a small bowl, stir together the baking soda and vinegar and stir into the batter.
Divide between muffin cups, filling them three quarters full, and bake for 25 minutes, until springy to the touch. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar and milk, adding more icing sugar or milk as needed to produce a spreadable frosting. Spread on cooled cupcakes or spoon into a piping bag and pipe out over the cupcakes.
Makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes.
Originally published in 2014. Adapted from Martha Stewart
