Red Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Yields: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• Cake

• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 cups canola oil
• 1  cup plain yogurt
• 2  tablespoons  red food coloring
• 1  teaspoon vinegar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour
• 1  tablespoon  cocoa
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon salt

• Icing

• 2  cups mascarpone
• 1  cup icing sugar, sifted (confectioners')
•  1/2 cup 35-percent  whipping cream
• 1  lemon, zest of

Directions

1. For the cake:
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a food processor, mix the sugar with the eggs, oil, yogurt, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Blend until just incorporated. Place paper cupcake liners into a muffin pan, and divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, pouring only halfway so the batter doesn't overflow. Bake, rotating halfway through, for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and let cool.
4. For the icing:
5. In a bowl, beat the mascarpone, icing sugar, cream, and lemon zest together until the mixture is smooth. Spoon a dollop of mascarpone cream on the cupcakes.