I aquired this recipe from Paula Deen, First Lady of all things artery-clogging.
Suprisingly, the cupcakes themselves don't contain any butter. They does however contain a fair amount of oil making these little beauties incredibly moist. Lord knows there's nothing worse than dry cake and surely Mrs. Deen would never be responsible for that sort of baking tragedy.
Baking Tip a la Paula:
To make buttermilk, add 1 tsp white vinegar to 1 c. milk; let sit 5 minutes.
Her recipe goes as follows:
Granted, I tweaked it a little
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder I prefer a little more, maybe 2tbsp
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring as per usual, ran out. 1 tbsp worked just fine
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a larger bowl, and being careful not to stain everything within 100 yards, carefully whisk together oil, buttermilk, food coloring, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the dry to the wet and mix until smooth and combined using an electric hand mixer.
Divide batter between cupcake pans lined with papers (should make about 24). Bake 11 minutes- turn- bake 11 more. Test for doneness with a toothpick.
Frost with whipped cream cheese frosting:
1/2lb c. cheese
1 stick of butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
"If it were socially acceptable, I would drape myself in velvet."
