Ingredients:
1 large egg
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
50g butter
100ml buttermilk
50ml vegetable oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp red colouring

Buttercream:
100g butter
100g Philadelphia cream cheese
225g icing sugar

Method:

Heat the oven to 180˚C and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and set aside.

Firstly, in a medium-sized bowl sieve the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of fine salt into and mix to combine. Using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg, vanilla extract, buttermilk, oil and vinegar until fully combined.

Begin to add the wet mixture to your dried ingredients, using a whisk. Once combined, mix in the red food colouring until you have a deep red colour.

Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 15 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 1 minute, then remove and allow to cool on a cake stand.

While they are cooling down, you can start to make the icing. Beat (hand mixer) the butter until soft, then add in the icing sugar a small bit at a time until pale and fluffy. Add in the cream cheese and beat again for a further 2 minutes until well combined.

Once the cakes are cool, use a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle to cover the cakes with the cream cheese icing, or dollop the icing on top using a spoon.