Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 3 ½ cups cake flour

• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup canola oil

• 1 cup applesauce**

• 1 ⅛ cup Truvia^® Cane Sugar Blend

• 3 eggs***

• ⅛ cup red food coloring****

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 ½ tsp vinegar

Frosting

• 16 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese

• ⅓ cup Truvia^® Cane Sugar Blend

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp milk (optional)

Directions

Cupcakes

• 1.  

  Preheat oven to 350° F.

• 2.  

  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

• 3.  

  Combine oil, applesauce and Truvia^® Cane Sugar Blend in a separate large mixing bowl. Blend in eggs. Carefully add red food coloring and vanilla extract while mixing at low speed.

• 4.  

  Combine the buttermilk and vinegar. Then add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk mixture to the oil mixture at a time and mix just until combined.

• 5.  

  Fill paper-lined or greased cups ¾ full with batter.

• 6.  

  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.

Frosting

• 7.  

  Mix cream cheese and Truvia^® Cane Sugar Blend at low speed for 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another minute at low to medium speed or until creamy and smooth. Add 1 teaspoon of milk, if desired, for thinner spreading consistency

• 8.  

  Store in a sealed container.