Makes 12 regular or 24 mini cupcakes

3/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, room temperature
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line desired size cupcake pan with liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda.  Make a well in the center.

In bowl or large measuring cup, mix egg, vegetable oil, white vinegar, buttermilk and vanilla extract. 

Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients.  Mix until combined, but do not over mix.

Scoop cupcake batter into pans.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes for regular sized/16-18 minutes for minis, or until centers spring back lightly when pushed.  Remover from oven, and allow to cool in pans 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and allow to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Enough for 12 regular cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz (half a stick of butter) unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (the vanilla extract DOES color the frosting so it loses it's pure white color, while the vanilla bean will just fleck the frosting with beautiful black dots...the vanilla bean is my preference.)

In bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter, until uniformly combined.  Add vanilla extract/vanilla bean and mix.  Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until desired pipeable or spreadable texture is met.

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