Some of the best recipes passed down to me came from my Grandma K.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 lg eggs, room temperature
1 tsp butter flavor
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp red food coloring
2 1/4 cup cake flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixing bowl add shortening, sugar, eggs, and butter flavor and whisk until smooth. Then beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Add in the cocoa and food coloring. You may need to add more or less depending on the color you want the cupcakes. Add the flour and salt in slowly.
In another small bowl mix together the vinegar and baking soda and then add to mixing bowl. Stir for about 20 seconds.
Grease two heart shaped cupcake pans without liners with Crisco shortening. Add one pan at a time and cook for 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let them cool for about 2-3 minutes and then turn the pan over and beat with a knife so that the cupcakes fall out. (They come out of the pan easier if they have not cooled off completely) Place them on wire racks to finish of cooling.
Buttercream Icing:
2 sticks of butter, unsalted (1 cup)
3 cups powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp milk
Preparation:
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients with a hand held mixer until smooth. Place in icing bag or icing decorator and pipe onto cupcakes.