Rosebud Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red velvet cake always makes me think of that scene from Steel Magnolias, where they're all eating that hideous armadillo groom's cake that looks like it is bleeding. These elegant cupcakes should have the opposite effect. The red color comes from using the old-fashioned light cocoa powder. If you can't find that, you can dye the cake red with a couple of tablespoons of red food coloring.

2 1/2 c. cake flour, sifted before measuring
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp.salt
2 tbsp. unprocessed light cocoa powder
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 batch buttercream frosting
24 cupcake papers
Silver edible glitter dust
2 dozen organic pink rosebuds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with the cupcake liners and set aside.

Resift the cake flour together with the other dry ingredients into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and vinegar. Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture in three additions, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions.

Fill cupcake papers little less than 3/4 full with cake batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Allow to cool in the pan on top of a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost cupcakes and dust the tops with glitter. Place a rose bud in the center of each cupcake.

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