Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)
Blue and red frosting or gel

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour muffin cups (2 1/2 inches in diameter) or line them with paper bake cups.
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, water, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
Bake 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan. Cool completely. Frost.
Garnish tops with chocolate star, or decorate with red and blue frosting or gel. To make chocolate stars, cut several cupcakes into 1/2 inch slices; cut out star shapes from cake slices. Makes about 30 cupcakes.
(To make sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.)

Vanilla Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, separated
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Directions

Beat together butter, shortening and vanilla. Add 1 cup sugar; beat until creamy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Makes about 2 1/3 cups.

Nutritional information per serving of 1 cupcake: 230 cal., 8 g fat, 15 mg chol., 200 mg sodium, 36 g carbo., 3 g pro.