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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners (preferably silver).
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2
For the cupcakes: Crack the eggs into your mixer.
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3
Add the canola oil, buttermilk and vinegar.
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4
Drop in the food coloring and vanilla.
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5
Let it stir up until well mixed.
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6
Put the sugar, flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
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7
Whisk together until well mixed.
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8
Then sift this right onto a big piece of waxed paper, it makes it easy to transport to the mixer.
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9
Make sure there are no clumps.
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10
Turn your mixture on low and slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients as it's mixing.
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11
Turn the mixer up just a bit and combine well.
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12
Stop and scrape down the bowl.
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13
Use an ice cream scoop to evenly dish the batter out into the cupcake liners, about 3/4 full.
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14
Pop the cupcakes in the oven until a cake tester comes out nice and clean, about 20 minutes.
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15
Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool completely before frosting.
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16
For the frosting: Add the softened butter and confectioners' sugar and cream together in a mixer.
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17
Add the milk.
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18
Stop and scrape down the bowl, getting all the confectioners' sugar incorporated.
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19
Add a couple drops of black food coloring and then some red food coloring.
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20
Mix in the vanilla and a pinch of salt.
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21
Mix well.
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22
Fill a pastry bag or snip the corner of a zip top bag.
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23
Fill with the frosting.
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24
(To fill the bag easily, wrap the bag around a cup and wrap the edges of the bag around the top to keep the bag open while filling with frosting.)
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25
Frost the cupcakes, making a little squiggly line down the middle, and then filling in little swirls to look like the brain.
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26
Repeat on the other side and for the rest of the cupcakes.
