Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring (2 bottles)
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift it, then measure it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in eggs.
Stir cocoa powder into red food coloring, then add to the sugar mixture.
Stir flour and salt together in a small bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the batter, then one-third of the buttermilk, and so on, alternating, until all is incorporated into the batter.
Dissolve the baking soda into the vinegar and add that to the batter.
Pour into prepared cupcake liners. Bake 18-22 minutes.
Frost with cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-4 Tbsp. milk

Preparation:
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
Beat in sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Beat in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the cream cheese frosting reaches the desired consistency.