Cupcakes, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

February 8, 2009
*Please note, I have seen this photo on the web many times, used by other people without permission. This is a copyrighted image, property of © Bakeaholic.ca  If you would like to use an image from my website please contact me first – Pleae read Contact & Copyright*

bakeaholic cupcakes valentine

These decadent chocolate cupcakes topped with smooth silky buttercream are perfect for showing someone a litlte love this Valentine’s Day.

 

 

Devil’s Food Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup hot water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • vanilla
  • 1 small individual apple sauce snack pack unsweetened, about 1/4 cup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2.  Line baking tins with cupcake liners.
  3. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth.
  4.  In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder.
  5. Melt butter, and add the sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl.
  6. With an electric stand mixer on medium-low beat until mixture is cooled, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
  8. Add vanilla (as much as you like), then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined.
  9. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, and apple sauce beating until just combined.
  10. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. I use a 1/4 measuring cup to do this.
  11. Bake, about 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs.

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!

Vanilla Frosting:
Ingredients:
  • Confectioners Sugar ( about 4-5 cups ), Sifted
  • Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk)
  • 1 cup butter, softened

    Directions:
  1. Cream butter in mixer at medium for about 2-5 minutes until creamy and fluffy, scraping down bowl half way.
  2. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth, Add another 1/2 cup. 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. 
  4. Continue to mix on high for 5-10 minutes for creamy, light buttercream. 
Using a large star tip, Ateco #848, pipe frosting onto cupcakes. You can decorate these in any way you desire. Try using different tips for different effects and texture.
 
Using Fondant Accessories
 
For garnish you can add heart sprinkles, or, using white Fondant (store bought or homemade MMF)  add color using colour gel. Add a small amount of desired color to fondant and knead untill the color is completely incorporated. I suggest wearing latex/rubber gloves for this so you do not dye your whole hand, like I sometimes do. You want it not to look like tie-dye. It should be fully incorporated to create a rich colour.
 
Using a rolling pin flatten out onto surface. To help it not stick, spread a small amount of cornstarch onto the counter. I dust mine over it straight from the box. 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! Or, alternatively add the hearts to the cupcakes just before serving, so they stay fresh and do not soften up.


Happy Valentine’s Day!

You Might Also Like

39 Comments

  • Reply Bakeaholic » Blog Archive » Mini-Me Valentine’s Day Cupcakes February 8, 2009 at 1:20 PM

    […] Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes […]

  • Reply ingrid February 8, 2009 at 4:55 PM

    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

  • Reply katy February 8, 2009 at 5:13 PM

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

  • Reply i bake for you :) February 8, 2009 at 7:36 PM

    These look so beautiful!! And I’m sure they taste as good as they look as well! 😀

  • Reply Alicia February 8, 2009 at 8:03 PM

    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!!

  • Reply Eunice February 9, 2009 at 2:01 AM

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

  • Reply dawn February 9, 2009 at 8:38 AM

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

  • Reply Kelly Dee February 9, 2009 at 8:39 AM

    Those are adorable!

  • Reply Michelle February 9, 2009 at 10:36 AM

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

  • Reply pigpigscorner February 9, 2009 at 2:26 PM

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

  • Reply Alexandra February 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM

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

  • Reply Alicia February 10, 2009 at 2:01 PM

    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!

  • Reply Girl Healthy February 10, 2009 at 8:13 PM

    Mmmmmm. Looks good enough to eat!

  • Reply Joanne February 18, 2009 at 12:39 PM

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

  • Reply Olga February 20, 2009 at 8:13 AM

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

  • Reply Bakeaholic » Blog Archive » A is for Apple, B is for Baby February 22, 2009 at 1:38 PM

    […] Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes […]

  • Reply nina February 28, 2009 at 7:24 AM

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

  • Reply Alicia February 28, 2009 at 10:34 AM

    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

  • Reply nina February 28, 2009 at 10:08 PM

    thanks much!

  • Reply Fondant Icing Master March 23, 2009 at 10:32 AM

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

  • Reply Aisha "work in new Zealand" Fox April 19, 2009 at 9:32 PM

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

  • Reply DIY Cupcakes: Happy Valentine’s « Joobeelicious February 4, 2010 at 10:03 AM

    […] snatched from: here and […]

  • Reply Bakeaholic » Blog Archive » I promise.. February 8, 2010 at 12:57 PM

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

  • Reply Some of my favorite quotes on “Love Day” « Quintessential Maine February 14, 2010 at 6:02 PM

    […] Image from The Confessions of a Bakeaholic […]

  • Reply Bruce April 3, 2010 at 6:56 PM

    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!

  • Reply Bakeaholic » Blog Archive » Happy Valentine’s Day, Honey! February 4, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    […] 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 […]

  • Reply Rachelle January 26, 2012 at 3:29 PM

    really cute! thanks for sharing!

  • Reply chonababes January 26, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    that was really cute!!!

  • Reply sya February 6, 2012 at 10:09 AM

    heyyya, your cupcakes look very lovely, can i post your pic in my sample album for valentines day, i would b really thankful to you !!

  • Reply Valentine Raspberry Cupcakes Food Photography that Tastes Good | MyFudo™ February 6, 2012 at 9:32 PM

    […] from Bakeaholic is a true lover of baking. We know this because she states, “I would rather buy baking and cooking […]

  • Reply Valentine’s Day Sweets » Bakeaholic February 7, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    […] These cupcakes have always gotten a lot of attention around Valentine’s Day. Decadent Devil’s Food Cake with smooth butter-cream topped with fondant hearts // Recipe Here […]

  • Reply Kiran @ KiranTarun.com February 7, 2012 at 11:51 PM

    Deliciousness — I love the hearts on the cupcakes. So cute!!

  • Reply Ideas para el Día del Amor | Ceja Güera… February 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM

    […] Printable por The Sweetest Occasion, fig. 6 Queen of Hearts Valentine’s Cupcakes por bakeaholic. Tags: Decoración, Día del Amor, DIY, Envolturas & Empaques, […]

  • Reply Homemade Valentine’s Cupcakes » Bakeaholic February 13, 2012 at 2:54 PM

    […] make, you can use your favourite chocolate cupcake recipe, or try this Devil’s Food Cake recipe I used for my Valentine’s Day Cupcakes before To make the Whipped Buttercream you will […]

  • Reply Aunt Weez February 21, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    Hi Lou, looks yummy I like the idea of applesauce! I made chili today added a hot habernaro, beer “Innis & Gunn”, wanted to change it up a bit. Soaked the beans overnight. Smells yummy so far. If you have more trouble with your tooth text your cousin who works for the dentist. Luvs

  • Reply { the love list… } | CHN Fashion.com April 14, 2012 at 1:45 AM

    […] with me every February 14th by choosing these romantic lovelies over the very expected roses.  1, 2, 3, […]

  • Reply Blog da Jay » Inspiração: Dia dos Namorados May 25, 2012 at 10:18 PM

    […] se o seu negócio é ficar aproveitando o conforto de casa (5), não se desespere. Escolha uma receita caprichada (6). Prepare a mesa com uma decoração criativa (1) e bem bonita (2). Se conseguir, deixe o quarto […]

  • Reply Vera - Cupcakes Garden January 4, 2013 at 5:21 AM

    Hello Alicia! These cupcakes is adorable and I would really like to feature them on my cupcakes blog! Of course I need your permission! Please, if you agree with that just replay on this comment! Best regards!

  • Leave a Reply