Red is the Best Red Velvet Cupcakes

The cream cheese frosting on these cupcakes is delish. It's the best I've ever tasted.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 ts baking soda
1 ts salt
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Ghiradelli)
2 eggs
1 1/3 vegetable oil
3/4 cup Buttermilk at room temp
1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
2 tbsp red food coloring
1/2 vanilla extract (I like Madagascar Bourbon)

Preheat oven to 350. Line your muffin pan with cupcake holders (should make about 24). In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together eggs and the oil. In another small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla and lightly whisk. Slowly add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture and mix until incorporated. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake 12-15 minutes. Check after 12. Let cool before you put the frosting on or it will melt right off the cupcake.

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting


8 oz cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1/2 ts salt
4 ts Vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt and mix for 2 minutes. I like to put the cream cheese in a big Ziploc baggie and cut a small hole in one of the corners of the bag. It makes it very easy to put the cream cheese on the cooled cupcakes.