Festive! Leave the butter and cream cheese out in advance to let them soften at room temperature. You need a muffin pan, liners, and a frosting piping bag.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
| Flour | 1 2/3 Cups |
| Cocoa Powder | 2 tsp |
| Sugar | 1 Cup |
| Baking Powder | 1 tsp |
| Baking Soda | 1/4 tsp |
| Kosher Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Unsalted Butter (soft) | 3/4 Cup |
| Eggs | 3 large |
| Vanilla Extract | 2 Tbsp |
| Buttermilk | 3/4 Cup |
| Red Food Coloring | A few drops |
Frosting
| Unsalted Butter (soft) | 1 1/2 Cups |
| Confectioners Sugar | 6 Cups |
| Cream Cheese (soft) | 16 oz |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 tsp |
| Kosher Salt | 1 pinch |
Directions
Cupcakes
-
Preheat the over to 350°. Put the liners in the muffin pan.
-
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix them up with a whisk.
-
Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the mixture. Mix on low until a sandy mixture forms.
✦If using a stand mixture, use a paddle attachment.
-
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring.
✦It depends on what kind of food coloring you are using, but it's about ~5-6 drops of the gel food coloring.
-
Slowly add the egg mixture to the sandy mixture, mixing on low. Mix until fully combined.
-
Distribute evenly in the cupcake liners.
-
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the cupcakes are springy to the touch. Let them cool for a few minutes and then take the cupcakes out of the pan and put them on a rack to cool completely.
Frosting
-
In a lare mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter on medium until smooth and fluffy, ~2 minutes.
-
Add the cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Mix together on medium until well combined.
-
While mixing on low, sift in the confectioners sugar a cup at a time. Mix until well combined.
✦To make a stiffer frosting, add more confectioners sugar until it is the texture you'd like. You can also chill the frosting for a few minutes before piping.
-
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and fit it with a star tip. Pipe large dollops on top of each cooled cupcake.