Valentine’s Day Heart Cupcakes

Ingredients: 
 

1). 400 g self-raising flour  

2). 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder 

3). 5 g bread soda  

5). Pinch of salt 

6). 115 g butter, softened 

7). 330 g white sugar  

8). 2 eggs, room temperature  

9). 250 ml vegetable oil 

10). 5 ml white vinegar 

11). 10 ml vanilla extract  

12). 250 ml buttermilk, room temperature  

13). 50 ml red food colouring liquid (or gel concentrate, using less) 

For the Pink Vanilla Frosting: 

1). 225 g soft butter 

2). 450 g icing sugar 

3). 3 g salt (½ teaspoon) 

4). 10 ml vanilla extract 

5). 20 ml milk (1 generous tablespoon) 

6). Red food colouring, to preference 

 

 

 

 

For the Cakes: 

1). Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.  In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. 

2). In a large bowl or stand-up mixer, combine the butter and sugar until smooth (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer). Add eggs and mix again until fluffy.   

3). Next add the rest of the wet ingredients – vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring.  Beat until combined and smooth. 

 

Note about food dye:  artificial works best.  Natural colouring (like beet powder) turns brown in the oven.  For this cake, we are going for a deep ruby red. 

 

4). Add dry ingredients to the red mixture.  Beat until combined, but don’t panic if it’s not perfectly smooth. 

5). Fill cupcake pans with individual papers, which will allow us to make a heart-shaped cupcake. Fill each halfway with batter, but do not over-fill.  Each cupcake weighs 50 grams if you put it on a scale.   

6). Using 24 pieces of cardboard (or wood, or tin foil), you’ll be placing them on the sides of the cupcake paper, next to the pan.  Each piece should be about 2x4 cm in size.  The cupcakes will now each form a ‘V’ shape.  For the top of your hearts use 12 pieces of tin foil, each piece roughly 8x8 cm. Roll the foil in your hands to form a ball and place it behind the top of the cupcake in the middle, opposite the V shape on the bottom.  You should now see a heart shape created in your papers. 

7). Bake for 30 minutes and let cool.  

 

For the Frosting: 

1). Combine the soft butter and the icing sugar in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer.  Add salt, vanilla and milk and n=beat until fluffy.   

2). Add a dab of red food colouring and mix.  Just a small amount will turn your frosting light pink.  Add more to make the colour more vibrant. 

3). Frost each cupcake with a piping bag or spread with a knife.  Decorate with red velvet crumbs or sprinkles, or chocolate hearts.