Yummy Red Velvet Cupcakes - February 2014

Ingredients-
Cupcakes

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup water

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound butter
• 2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.
  
• In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the 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, and mix until combined. You don’t want to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.
  
• Line a 16-cup cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
  

• Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
  
• The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week
  
• Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.