Valentine's day vanilla cupcakes

So Valentine’s Day is coming up. It’s not something I celebrate. I don’t have a boyfriend and even if I did, I see it as some forced romance that is so commercial the romance has gone off of it, hasn’t it? But, it is the perfect opportunity for me to try out something I’ve been wanting to bake for a while! Chocolate filled cupcakes.

The result was both hilarious and delicious so I’m quite happy with my first try of filling cupcakes although, of course, I need improvement. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy to share this recipe with you and hope you like it or make some improvements of your own and then maybe like it even more.

I got the cupcake recipe from 500 Cupcakes. It is SO easy and the cupcakes are light with a nice vanilla flavour. Reading the recipe I thought there would be no way they would rise properly in the oven with the way it was prepared but rise they did! Beyond my expectations… I’ll show you a picture of that later in the post.

The frosting recipe I got from Glorious Treats. A wonderful blog with the most amazing cupcake and cookie recipes, tips and gorgeous pictures. You should definitely check it out if you haven’t already!

This recipe makes about 15 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Cupcakes
2 cups soft butter
2 cups fine sugar
2 cups cake flour
4 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache
1 oz dark chocolate (I use 75% cocoa chocolate)
1/8 cup heavy cream

Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup butter (set at room temp about 10 minutes, but should still be cool)
8 oz. cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered confectioners’ sugar
1 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream, heavy whipping cream (or milk- although I do like the richness that cream adds)

Recipe

Ganache
A side-note: My ganache took ages to set to the right firmness for me to be able to use it and even then it was more runny than I’d have liked it to be. So start with the ganache first and then when it’s reached the right consistency, start making your batter. That way you won’t have your batter waiting for your ganache to harden.

• Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heat-resistible bowl.

• Heat the heavy cream on the stove until it nears the boiling point.

• Pour the heated heavy cream over the broken chocolate and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.

• After 5 minutes, stir and put in the ‘fridge until it’s reached the right consistency. It should be able to be formed into a soft bowl with a spoon. It shouldn’t be too runny for then it will disperse within the cupcake as it bakes. Mine took about 45 minutes but I advise you to leave it for about an hour if not longer.

Cupcake batter

• Preheat the oven to 175 °C/345 °F. Put 15 paper cases in a muffin tray (I bake 2 times for this).

• Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a mixer for about 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to colour your cupcake (like I did) add the food colouring now as well.

• Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.

• Top each cupcake in the centre with a teaspoon of ganache (I used small teaspoons).

• Bake for 20 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Look at how my Volcano Valentine’s Day Cupcakes came out of the oven. Something definitely went wrong there but they tasted great and there’s nothing that a good layer of frosting can’t hide.

Cream Cheese frosting
While your cupcakes cool you can make the frosting.

• Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

• Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.

• Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met (don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes).

• Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute (if you want, add some food colouring now).

• Frost your cupcakes and add any other kind of decorations.

 ~ Enjoy!