Ingredients (for the cupcakes)

170 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¾ cups caster sugar

2 medium eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2½ tsp red food colour

3¼ cups all purpose flour, sifted

2½ tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp salt

1½ cups milk

1½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp apple cider vinegar

Ingredients (for the frosting)

170 gms cream cheese, at room temperature

56 gms butter, at room temperature

½ tsp vanilla

4 cups confectioners sugar

Method

This is a list of ingredients.

To a bowl, add the sugar.

Next, add the butter.

Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

This is how it looks like after the eggs have been added.

Add the vanilla.

Next, add the red food colour.

Beat them into the mixture.

To the plain flour, add the cocoa powder and set aside.

To the milk, add the salt.

Mix it in and add half of it to the mixture.

Next, add half the cocoa powder and flour mixture and beat it in. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour.

Beat everything in.

Just before baking, add the baking soda to the apple cider vinegar.

Mix it in and add it to the cupcake batter.

After one last beat, your cupcake batter is ready.

Pour the cupcake batter into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or till the cupcakes are done. Insert a toothpick into the center of one cupcake. If it comes out clean, that means the cupcakes have been baked through.

Let them cool down completely on a wire rack.

Set aside, while you make the cream cheese frosting.

These are the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting.

To a bowl, add the cream cheese.

Next, add the butter.

Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Next, add the vanilla.

Finally, add the powdered sugar, in batches of four, beating between each addition.

This is how the frosting looks like when done.

Put the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag. I used a zip lock bag.

Pipe the frosting on your cupcakes using any tip you like.

Do this for the remaining cupcakes.

Sprinkle with coloured rice on top.

You can eat the cupcakes without the frosting as well, since this recipe yields very soft cupcakes.

The cupcakes will stay at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days and for up to 5 days in a refrigerator.