Regardless of how you feel about this holiday, these yummy cupcakes will bring happiness to anyone who eats one!

Here’s what you need:

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
2-1/2 c cake flour
1-1/2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1-1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c buttermilk (how to make buttermilk if you’re out!)
2 TBSP red liquid food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

For the frosting:

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
8 oz cream cheese
5 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Let’s do this!

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Add dry ingredients a cup at a time, blending all the while, about 2 minutes.

4. Pour batter into lined pans.
Hoo boy – that looks weird pouring out of that spoon.

Pop into oven.

5. Bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes.

6. Now make the frosting! Combine the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and continue mixing until smooth.
Hooooooooooooo boyyyyyy! At this point I realized I accidentally threw in the entire stick of butter. Yes, 3 extra tablespoons. Let’s see if anyone notices…

7. Frost/decorate as desired!
I made these little bugs by hand to match the cupcake liners. It was really easy, I just had to create the design in Illustrator, then print on custom cut labels, and stick to toothpicks.

HAHAHAHAA!!!! ‘Course I didn’t do that! I bought them at Ralph’s for like $1.00 a few weeks ago. I was prolly there buying dishwasher rinse or something sexy like that.

Remember this cupcake thief from last September?

Alright, FINE!!! A cupcake for breakfast…just this once.

From Annie’s Eats.