Eat with your eyes...

...not with your mind. Thank you Martha Stewart Cupcakes.

The recipe follows as:

2 1/2 cups cake flour, not self-rising, sifted

2 Tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 Large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoon red-gel food colouring

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Makes 24 standard cupcakes

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Mix in food colour and vanilla.

3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a separate bowl, add to the batter and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.

4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen up to two months in air tight containers.

5. To finish, use a small off set spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to three days in airtight containers, bring to room temperature before serving.

I did a small variation on this. Rather than making the standard sizing, I had opted to make mini cupcakes. The only big thing was that I had baked for about 12 minutes rather than the twenty, as instructed. I do find that these cupcakes are a bit on the greasy side, so next time I'm going to try using sweetened apple sauce, removing half the sugar and half a cup of oil.