recipe from joythebaker.com

     adapted from Gourmet Cookbook and makes 2 dozen cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1  teaspoon vanilla extract

scant 1 cup milk

1 Tablespoon red food coloring

Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.  

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.  Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with the milk and red dye in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until just incorporated.  

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until the cakes a pick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.  Let cool for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack.