Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons no-taste red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1½ cups whole milk
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar

For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces cream cheese

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 paper baking cups.
2. Sift together the flour and salt, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
5. Using a whisk, whisk together the red food coloring, vanilla and cocoa powder. Slowly add this to the mixer bowl, mixing slowly until well incorporated.
6. Add a third of the flour, followed by a third of the milk, and mix. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the last third of the flour, followed by the last third of the milk, and mix until incorporated.
7. In a small bowl, add the baking soda to the apple cider vinegar. You will see the baking soda and vinegar fizz up! Mix thoroughly and add this reaction to the batter. Mix until just incorporated.
8. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into a cupcake pan so each well is 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1. Place all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer filled with the paddle attachment; beat until well combined. Be sure to beat on high speed at the very end for at least 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.
2. Transfer frosting into a plastic piping bag fitted with a round metal tip. Frost each cupcake with a swirl of frosting.
3. Serve and enjoy!

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
1¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1¼ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
½ cup sifted cocoa powder
3 cups chocolate fudge

For the strawberry buttercream frosting:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup diced strawberries

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a cupcake pan with twelve paper baking cups, and a second pan with six baking cups.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
5. Combine the vanilla and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
6. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one third of the milk mixture, beating slowly until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.
7. Add the cocoa powder, beating on low speed just until incorporated.
8. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, fill each baking cup so that it is two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Using an apple corer, gently remove the center of each cupcake by pressing and twisting the apple corer into each cupcake.
10. Heat fudge in a microwave for 2-3 minutes, and pour into a plastic squeeze bottle. Squeeze hot fudge into the center hole of each cupcake, until filled to the top.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, mix all the ingredients for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, until the frosting is light and airy.
2. Transfer frosting into a plastic piping bag fitted with a round metal tip. Frost each cupcake with a swirl of frosting.
3. Decorate the top of each cupcake with a swirl of fudge. Serve and enjoy!

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Ingredients

For the cupcakes
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (or another good-quality cocoa powder)

For the ganache frosting
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; or other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.
3. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
5. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
6. Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.
7. Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated.
8. Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache frosting:

1. Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface.
2. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth.
3. Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving.

(If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.)

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