Throwback- Valentine's Day Cupcakes

Since I've just gotten my blog started, I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes. Last month for Valentine's Day, I made these cupcakes, and everyone loved them! I made three entire batches of them, and I almost had to make extra frosting every time because I couldn't keep my spoon out of the bowl! 

"A balanced diet is having a cupcake in each hand." 

Here's the recipe for these irresistible cupcakes!

Cake:
2.5 cups of flour
1.5 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1.5 cups of oil
1 cup of buttermilk*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon of red gel food coloring (or another color if you prefer-get creative!)
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Frosting:
2 eight-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened (I prefer brand name over generic because of texture)
1 stick of butter, softened (eight tablespoons)
2 cups of powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Milk to taste/texture

*If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a 1-cup measure and fill the rest of the cup with milk. Let the milk sit for at least 5 minutes, and your milk mixture will work just as well as buttermilk!

Recipe:
Cake-
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  In a large bowl, combine and whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. Make sure that all the ingredients are well combined and mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring.
4. Using a mixer, add the dry mixture 1/3 cup at a time to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
6. Bake the cupcakes for 20-30 minutes, checking for done-ness at 15 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the cupcake or when the cake feels springy if you lightly tap it with your finger.
7. Cool until the cupcakes seem cool enough to frost- at least 20 minutes.

Frosting-
1. Put the softened cream cheese into a bowl and mix it with an electronic mixer on high until it's very creamy and smooth.
2. Add the softened butter, and mix on a medium-high setting until it seems well combined.
3. Next, sift in the powdered sugar and mix until the powdered sugar until it's entirely incorporated.
4. Lastly, add the vanilla and beat well to ensure that all ingredients are well mixed.
5. If your frosting seems too thick or dry, add a spoonful of milk at a time to get the texture you're hoping for.
6. Frost your cupcakes however you'd like- in a piping bag, or simply just with a butter knife.
7. Add sprinkles or whatever decorations you want! :) I like to add decorations to my desserts, and for these cupcakes, decided to make them a little bit fancy. Making the edible red chocolate decorations is easy and fun! Read below if you'd like to know how.

Edible Red Chocolate Cupcake Toppers:
Ingredients:
Wilton Candy Melts (color of your choice)
1. Take your desired color and amount of candy melts and put them into a microwave-safe squeeze bottle like this Wilton Decorating Squeeze Bottle. Microwave the bottle in 30-second intervals. Check if the candy is fully melted, shake the bottle, and microwave longer if needed. Repeat this process until the chocolates are fully melted, but be careful to NOT over-microwave the melts. They will burn and taste bad!
2. Set out some waxed paper on a could counter or surface and pipe shapes, words, or other designs onto the waxed paper. Allow the candy melts to cool completely-they will become a solid, and gently peel the design off of the paper.
3. Place the chocolate decoration on the cupcake, and you're done!

Printable version of this recipe

Enjoy your delicious cupcakes-but I will warn you--they're hard to resist! :)

Have a wonderful and blessed day, everyone!

-Am (AnneMarie)