February 8, 2009 28

Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes

By in Cupcakes, Valentine's Day

*Please note, I have seen this photo on the web many times, used by other people without permission. If you would like to use an image from my website please contact me first*

Show some love this Valentine’s Day by pouring your heart out! Or simply show you care with a cupcake choc-full of hearts! A perfect little treat for your sweet-heart! Cupcakes are quick and easy, but hey, its the thought that counts right? So whip up a batch next saturday, Feb. 14 in time for Valentine’s Day.

Be sure not to skimp on the icing, layer it on! It’s a day of love afterall, and nothing says love like a huge dollop of frosting, at least for me that is. I have a definite sweet tooth, just ask my dentist! This is the day to indulge in a little extra sweet, so go ahead and have one, or two or three. Who’s counting? Or share one with someone you love!…and then get another one for yourslef later. Enjoy! & happy heart day!

Devil’s Food Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 ounces (1 stick), room temperature
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup milk
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
  3. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
  4. Using a mixer, preferrably with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until mixed.
  5. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.
  6. Divide the batter into a prepared cupcake/muffin tin with liners. About 3/4 fulll.
  7. Bake about 20 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely before icing.

Even EASIER:

You can easily cut the time down for these cupcakes, if you’ve got your hands full, by starting with a devils food cake mix, and adding a pouch of chocolate fudge pudding to make it a little bit more ‘homemade.’ These are fun to decorate with kids, and can be brought to school for a Valentine’s Day Treat. Let the little ones cut out the heart shapes from the fondant and assemble them on the cupcake themselves! You can also make mini cupcakes ( seen below ) with little heart shaped sprinkes.

Vanilla Frosting:
Ingredients:
  • Confectioners Sugar ( About 4-5 cups ), Sifted
  • Pure Vanilla Extract (I use vanilla my brother brought me back from Mexico, its delicious and in a glass bottle with a cork!)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Directions:
  1. Cream together butter and shortening in mixer, with paddle attachment on medium for about 2 minutes.
  2. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth, Add another 1/2 cupe. Add about 2 tsp or more vanilla, to taste.
  3. Add gradually the remaining sugar and add milk until you reach the consitency you desire. A little bit thicker for piping would be best. If you are going to use a spatula to ice them, you can use a little less sugar and more milk for a thinner consitency to spread on the cupcake.
  4. Continue to mix on medium until smooth.
Using a large star tip, pipe frosting onto cupcakes. You can decorate these in any way you desire. Try using different tips for different effects and texture.
For garnish you can add heart sprinkles, OR using Fondant add color using Wilton Icing Gel. Add a small amount of desired color to fondant and knead untill the color is completely incorporated. You want it not to look like tie-dye.  Using a rolling pin flatten out onto surface. To help it not stick, spread a small amount of cornstarch onto the counter. Using cookie cutters, cut out different sized heart shapes and allow to dry on counter while you bake/frost cupcakes. You can also make these a day ahead and allow them to dry on a flat surface overnight. They will be easier to use once hard.
I made mine before I baked my cupcakes, and once I was finished I placed them in my cupcake courier, and the little fondant hearts started to fold over! They weren’t hard enough yet and began to go soft again once they were covered. So make sure if you are placing them into a covered container, that the hearts are fully hard or else they will wilt, and you will wake up to some broken hearts!


My Friend Steph’s birthday happens to be on Valentine’s Day too! Heart’s to you Juggdish! xo

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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28 Responses to “Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes”

  1. ingrid says:

    Those came out great. Thanks for the tip on the fondant hearts. I’ve yet to try using fondant but have a box of it in the pantry.

    That first photo is a great one…all the cupcakes & little hearts in a line.
    ~ingrid

  2. katy says:

    those little hearts on top are so so so so so cute. the cupcakes look so tasty!!

  3. These look so beautiful!! And I’m sure they taste as good as they look as well! :D

  4. Alicia says:

    Ingrid: Thanks! Fondant is so fun, I bought some for my birthday cupcakes last June and it was my first time using it! Im pretty sure this is from the same box! haha. I like the hearts all lined up too!

    Katy: Thanks!! I’m trying to keep myself from eating them, so far so good!

    ibfy: Thanks!!

  5. Eunice says:

    Oh so kyoooot!!! It looks so yummy and appealing at the same time!

  6. dawn says:

    what pretty pictures…too pretty to eat, but I’m sure I’d change my mind fairly fast.

  7. Kelly Dee says:

    Those are adorable!

  8. Michelle says:

    What great photos! These cupcakes are adorable. Well done!
    http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/

  9. aww…these are so cute!! Perfect valentine cupcakes.

  10. Alexandra says:

    My goodness these look so freakin’ cute! I love the little hearts. And who doesn’t like devil food cake? ;D Yum.

  11. Alicia says:

    Eunice: Thanks!

    Dawn – I changed my mind fairly quickly!

    Kelly Dee: Thank you! =)

    Michelle: I think i liked the photos more than the cupcakes… oh wait, no, no didn’t. The cupcakes were DELICIOUS

    Pig: thanks! i love cute little cupcakes too

    Alexandra: thanks thanks thanks! i don’t think anyone doesn’t like devils food cake… or at least i hope they do!

  12. Girl Healthy says:

    Mmmmmm. Looks good enough to eat!

  13. Joanne says:

    What beautiful cupcakes! You must have taken your time carefully placing the pretty pink hearts. Great job!

  14. Olga says:

    You did such a great job on piping the icing: very impressive!!!
    Thanks on your comment on my salmon tower.

  15. [...] Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes [...]

  16. nina says:

    hi. i plan to bake these cupcakes tomorrow. just wanted to ask, how many cupcakes did it yield? thanks!

  17. Alicia says:

    Hi Nina,

    I usually get about two dozen out of these. But I did also make mini ones with this recipe at the same time. But if you use a measuring cup to fill them, i usually use a 1/3 cup to fill them. Just about 3/4 full in the liner, and that way they will pop up just above the rim!

    Enjoy

  18. I really liked your blog with the Fondant Icing mention! I’ve bookmarked it.

  19. Cupcakes!!!
    I just love cupcakes!..
    Thank you for sharing!!.

  20. [...] now try out these Valentine’s Day Cupcakes with Fondant Hearts I made last year! A cute and yummy way to show someone your [...]

  21. Bruce says:

    Really nice article! Your writing is so refreshing in comparison to most other bloggers. Thank you for posting when you get the chance to, I will be sure to return!

  22. [...] no-bake Valentine’s classic of chocolate dipped strawberries I made last year, or these other Devil’s Food Cupcakes I made a couple years ago with fondant [...]

  23. Rachelle says:

    really cute! thanks for sharing!

  24. chonababes says:

    that was really cute!!!

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