Chocolate And Vanilla Election Day Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 15 individual muffin cups or line cups with paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in water, oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix well into a smooth batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Cream margarine in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 of the confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while electric mixture is running on low speed. Beat in vanilla soy milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat in remaining confectioners' sugar until frosting has desired consistency.
• Spoon frosting into a piping bag and pipe over cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, add milk and vanilla extract; stir to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk mixture; beat until just combined. Add cocoa powder and beat until just combined.
• Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large 5/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco No. 808). Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and set aside.
• Meanwhile, press your thumb into the center of the fondant to make a well. Place a small amount of food coloring (red for Republican, blue for Democrat) in the well and knead fondant until color is well blended. Continue to add more food coloring to fondant until desired color is achieved. Roll out into a 1/16-inch-thick sheet.
• To make Republican elephants, cut out 12 elephant shapes using 2-inch elephant cutters. Sprinkle with edible glitter. To make Democrat donkeys, cut out 12 bear shapes using a 2-inch bear cutter. Using a 2-inch daisy cutter, cut out enough daisy shapes so that you have 36 petals; sprinkle bear shaped and daisy petal fondant with edible glitter. Top each cupcake with a fondant elephant or bear, using two daisy petals to make donkey ears on each bear and one petal to make the tail. Sprinkle cupcakes with nonpareils and serve.