Preheat oven to 350°.

Put cupcake liners into the cupcake pans.

With a mixer on medium speed, beat together the shortening and sugar.

Add the eggs and beat well.

In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and red food coloring and add it to mixture, beating well to get the red color throughout the batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and add this alternately with the buttermilk and the vanilla extract.

Lastly, put in baking soda on top of the batter then add the white vinegar on top of the baking soda. It will fizz and poof. Fold this into the batter on low speed.

Fill the cupcake liners with the batter about three-quarters full.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake. Keep checking the cupcakes by using a cake tester in the middle.

Immediately remove the cupcakes from to a wire rack to cool. You do not want them to continue baking in the hot cupcake pans.

Frost as you wish when they are cool.