What You Need:
3 eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
3/4 C butter at room temperature for 30 minutes
3 C flour
2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 t salt
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 T red food coloring
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t vinegar
Powdered sugar
Conversation heart candies
How to Make It:
Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and allow the oven to heat while making the batter.
Spray two twelve cup muffin tins with a non stick cooking spray and sprinkle both with a little flour tapping out any excess.
Place the flour, cocoa powder and the salt together in a mixing bowl and toss to combine.
Place the butter in a separate mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Add the sugar and the vanilla and continue to beat until all the ingredients are incorporated together.
Add the eggs one at a time beating after each egg addition until they are incorporated into the mixture.
Add the food coloring and beat on the low speed until combined.
Alternating back forth between the flour and buttermilk add them to the butter mixture beating on low speed after each addition until both have been added.
Place the baking soda in a small bowl and stir in the vinegar.
Add the mixture to the batter and beat on low speed until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins filling each cup 2/3 full.
Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle come out clean.
Remove and cool to room temperature.
Place a heart shaped cookie cutter on top of each cupcake.
Sprinkle powdered sugar carefully inside each cutter.
Remove the cutter and place 1 conversation heart candy in the middle of the powdered sugar heart.
Serving Size: 24
You can make 12 jumbo cupcakes out of this batter if you prefer. The baking time will change to 20 minutes but the rest of recipe remains the same.
