Red Velvet Cupcakes

There's something about red velvet cake.  I don't know what it is.  Don't get me wrong, it's delicious but the craze surrounding it is a little weird.  It's probably the red color, people love red food.  But really the hype should surround cream cheese frosting.  That stuff is crack cocaine.  Actually, I haven't tried crack cocaine so I'm not an authority but I imagine this is kind of like that. The cake part of these is good, but the frosting is by far the best part of these cupcakes.  This is hands down the best cream cheese frosting I've tried and given my love of cream cheese; I've tried a bunch.  I won't even look at other recipes and it would take some impressive convincing to make me feel otherwise (and those who know me will tell you I'm a little stubborn). 

Cupcakes:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Frosting:

10 oz. Chilled Cream Cheese

6½ tablespoon unsalted butter at room temp.

3¼ cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in medium bowl.  With a mixer combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.  Beat on medium speed until well blended.  Mixing on low, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

3. Fill the cupcake wells a little over 2/3 full (these cupcakes don't rise quite as much as others).  Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the time.  Allow to cool from 5-10 minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks.

Frosting 

4. Combine cream cheese and butter in bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until well combined.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until combined and smooth.  Frost your cupcakes as desired when they are completely cooled.

Recipe adapted from Annie's-Eats