Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each is added, then add in the vanilla.
Sift the baking soda, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl.
This is where the food coloring comes in. First, let's not pretend there is anything remotely healthy about these cupcakes, so let's not worry about dye. We just poured grape soda into the mix. Some dye is really not going to tip the balance. On the neon package there are combos to make all sorts of colors. Choose the purple one you like then add the drops -according to the instructions on the package needed to achieve your chosen color- to the grape soda. The grape soda alone will not color these cupcakes. I put in a double dose of the purple to make the batter color you see in these pictures.
Once you are done that, add the dry mixture to the butter/egg/sugar alternately with the grape soda pop.
Pour into cupcake liners about 3/4 full. These are a thicker, moist cupcake and they do not rise a lot. I made most of these into mini cupcakes in small muffin tins and those can bake up anywhere from 10-15 minutes, a lot faster than large ones.
Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.
Cool completely. Ice and sprinkle the tops with the colored sugar.