Valentine Cupcakes

I’m calling these “Valentine Cupcakes” because that’s what I first made them for, but they can of course be made for any reason at any time. The main trick to making these cupcakes is simply a technique used with the batter.  You can really use any recipe that you like. I’ve included the recipe I used, which worked out very well and can be adapted any number of ways. I’m also including the recipe for the frosting that I used, because it is very yummy and goes well with these cupcakes.

Simple White Cake

(via Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners. (I suggest making 15-18 cupcakes rather than only 12.)
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time (thoroughly), then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared liners.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting

(via Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

To be honest, my first attempt at making these was a bit of a mess.  I used the foil liners in a jelly roll pan and over-filled them. Everything overflowed and it was a challenge to save them.  I was able to use them with the camouflage help of the frosting, but I learned a valuable lesson.  It is better to under-fill than over-fill!  These tend to puff up like a muffin so only fill the liner to 2/3 or less.  You can always make them taller with the frosting!

Here is the ‘technique’.  You can either split a normal 12 cupcake recipe in half or make a 2nd recipe with a different flavor and make twice as many cupcakes.  I’ve made them with the above recipe plus a box strawberry cake mix and also with just the above recipe.  Whichever way you do it, you want to have 2 different colors at a minimum and it works best with 2 different flavors, too (use the stronger flavor on the inside).  If using one recipe, split the batter in half and add color and some flavored extract to one half.

First, fill the cupcake liners 1/3 full with the first flavor (I use the white cake mix for this part, it will be what is on the outside of the cupcake).  Then put the other half of the batter into a decorating bag with a round tip or into a baggie with the corner snipped off.  Place the tip into the middle of the batter in each liner and squeeze until the liner is 2/3 or a little less full.  You will have the first color on the outside and a circle of the 2nd color on the inside.

I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it would be fun (though time consuming) to use multiple colors and make a rainbow cupcake.  You could just pipe one color after another into the center in smaller amounts.  If anybody tries it before I do, let me know! I think my next experiment will be vanilla, then a little bit of chocolate, then raspberry in the middle.  So many possibilities!

But back to the cupcakes.  Bake them according to the recipe instructions for cupcakes.  When they’re done, allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Mine looked like this:

I obviously don’t have perfect circles here. It bothers me, but I’ve moved on.  :-)  I just swirled the frosting on top of the cupcakes with a star tipped decorating bag and added some colored sugar.

The frosting recipe above is somewhat room temperature stable, but you will want to store any leftovers in the fridge.  You will most likely not need to double that frosting recipe to frost 24-30 cupcakes.  I had quite a bit left over, personally.  It’s not a cheap frosting to make, so you might want to pick up some strawberries or other fruit to use up the extra frosting as a yummy fruit dip!