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Tuesday 12 February 2008

Cupid's Heart 2 Heart Cupcakes



The little cherub of love, Cupid is busy sharpening the tips of his arrows in time for the 14th February. When he aims his bow at you, I hope you will be in the arms of the one you love embracing this Valentines Day!

To mark this occasion I have put my thinking cap on again to come up with another cupcake idea to share with you. It’s a simple red sponge in keeping with the theme of Valentines and cutout fondant heart shapes. I am baking the sponges on a slightly lower heat to help maintain the bright red colour of the sponge; a higher heat would brown them slightly.

These cupcakes are simple and quick enough to recreate if you are looking for something quickly to bake for your Valentine.

If you want to try something like a heart cake or heart shaped little cupcakes etc click on my link [here], which will bring you to my other Valentine recipes.


I would like to wish you all a wonderful Romantic Valentines Day!


Cupid's Heart 2 Heart Cupcakes


Cupid's Heart 2 Heart Cupcakes

Makes approximately 24 small cupcakes or 12 larger cupcakes – depending on size of cupcake case you use.

Ingredients
For The Sponge
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
175g (6 oz) softened butter
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
5 tbsp double cream or milk – use one not both
1 tsp vanilla extract
Edible red food colour – I used Wilton gel colours
For The Apricot Glaze
! tbsp apricot jam
3 tbsp water
For The Icing
350g (12 oz) of fondant icing
Edible red & pink food colouring
Icing sugar for dusting the work surface

You will also need 24 small paper cupcakes or 12 larger cupcake paper cases. 3 different sized heart shaped cookie cutters, largest cutter to fit the top of the cupcake. 2 x 12-holed small cupcake tin or 12-holed large cupcake tin

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a large mixing bowl add the butter and sugar and beat well with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Mix the eggs, cream or milk and vanilla extract in a jug with a fork. Add a little at a time of the egg mixture and remain to beat well in between each addition until all the mixture is completely combined. With a tip of a teaspoon add a little at a time of the edible red food colour until you reach your desired colour of red, beating the colour through the sponge mixture thoroughly. Place the flour and baking powder in a sieve and sift this over the mixture, folding in gently with a large metal spoon until all traces of flour have gone.

Place each paper cupcake case with sponge mixture to no more than three-quarters full. Place into the preheated oven to bake for 15- 20 minutes for small cupcakes 20 – 25 minutes for the medium cupcakes. They should feel firm to a gentle touch in the middle and or when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the tins fully onto a wire rack until cold.

For the apricot glaze,
place the apricot jam and water into a saucepan and with a small whisk combine them together over a low heat on the stove. Take off the heat and leave aside to use later.

For the fondant icing, sprinkle a little icing on a work surface and roll out the icing thinly. Cut out enough white hearts with the largest heart cutter. With a little apricot glaze on a pastry brush, stick each heart down on top of each cupcake. With the fondant remaining, roll it up into a ball shape and cut a quarter off, leave aside in a plastic bag. Colour the larger fondant icing with edible pink food colouring. Roll out like before cutting enough heart shapes out with the middle sized heart cutter and stick them down also with apricot glaze over the middle of each white fondant heart. Lastly colour the fondant put aside with edible red colouring and cut out small hearts with the smallest heart cutter and stick two with the apricot glaze on top of each pink heart.

Note: you may find you have some fondant Icing left over, but it will keep placed in a plastic bag in an airtight tub then stored in a cool place. It depends again on how many cupcakes you make and /or how thickly you roll your icing. The packets of fondant icing I buy come in 500g (1 lb 2 oz) weight.

26 comments:

Ivy said...

Hi Rosie, Happy Valentine's Day. Your heart cakes look wonderful. I came over from Pixie's blog after reading so nice things about you. It's always nice to meet kind people.

Jules said...

I love your valentines cakes. I would never think about adding food colouring to the cake mix.

Rosie said...

Welcome Ivy it's really nice to *see* you here. Congrats on your award too I am so pleased for you! :D I will visit your blog now I have found you and like-wise it is always nice to meet kind people!

Many thanks once again for calling by and for your lovely comment! :D

Rosie x

Rosie said...

Hi Jules, ahh thanks :) I’m often found in my little kitchen trying out something or another. Today it was red food colouring lol

Not only did I colour my sponge cakes but fingers on one hand too –what am I like teehee……

Thanks for popping by always lovely to *see* you! :)

Rosie x

Cakespy said...

GUARANTEED to be a sweet Valentine's with little cakes like this! Beautiful work as usual. The apricot glaze is a little unexpected but I'll bet it adds a little "zing" to the taste!

Rosie said...

Hi Cakespy, Awe thanks thats really SWEET of you! :D

heehee... call me an old fashioned girl at heart, I always tend to "glue" fondant icing down with apricot glaze. Watered down it really doesn't taste much of apricots.

Many thanks for your lovely comment and for calling by!

Rosie x

Dhivya said...

wow nice cakes..looks yummy and delicious...

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Beautiful cupcakes! Perfect for Valentine's day, or any day you want someone to feel special.

Mansi said...

aah! they look so cute Rosie! just like your name:) and fit for v-day girl:) hope you ahve a great valentine too:)

Chef Jeena said...

These cakes are so cute! They look lovely Rosie, I could just sink my teeth into the icing yummmmy. :-)

Pixie said...

Rosie, I had a dream about you having a list of valentine treats to share and wake up to this wonderful creation! I am so behind in making v-goodies, I can't believe it's tomorrow!!!! I haven't even used my cookie cutters yet. lol Thanks for sharing another lovely recipe.

Finla said...

Rosie the cakes looks beautiful.
It is pure pleasure to see the cup cakes.
Happyy Valentines day to you too

Donna said...

Happy Valentines Day to you, Love!!I Love the picture! And the cupcakes are gorgeous!! Have some serious fun today sweetie!!hughugs

Uma said...

Lovely hearts! Looks yum! Happy valentine's day, Rosie!

Maria♥ said...

Happy Valentines Rosie ;o)

I love your heart cupcakes, so cute.

Maria
x

Rosie said...

Hi Dhivya, ahh thank you, you’re so very kind! :D

Hi Lynn, Welcome and thanks for calling by and for your lovely kind comment! :D
I will be sure to call by your blog asap!

HI Mansi, you’ve put a huge *smile* on my face, thank you! :D

Hi Jeena, I wish I could pass you one over to sink your teeth into! :D

Hi Pixie, oh bless you – time seems to run away but I’m sure you will be creating something stunning for V Day! :D

Hi Happy, thank you are always SO kind! :D

Hi Donna, awe thanks sweetie and you have a great time on V Day too! :D

Hi C & T C, as always you are such a sweetie! :D

Hi Uma, I feel so very touched by your kind comment thanks! :D

Hi Maria, thanks sweetie and have a blast on your romantic night out with hubby! :D

Wishing you all a very “Happy Valentines Day” and I do hope that little cupid brings you much love!

Many. Many thanks for all your kind comments and taking the time to call by it is much appreciated!

Rosie x

Donna said...

Calling Miss Rosie!! LOL... you have another award on my blog!!LOL Love you sweetie!!

Rosie said...

Oh Donna thank you SO much I am very honoured and thrilled to except this award!!! :D

Food is very creative and feeds all our senses as well as making one feel euphoric, so this time I would like to share this with all my friends being St Valentines Day tomorrow I'd like to spread a little love and happiness around :D

Thank you sweetie once again and many hugs coming your way

Rosie x

Namratha said...

This is such an interesting way to make these cakes Rosie dear, love them! They are pretty and perfect! Hope you have a lovely Vday dear.

Rosie said...

Hi Namratha, thank you and what a very sweet comment!! :D

Wishing you a very Happy V Day too and many thamks for calling by! :D

Rosie x

Ruth Strong said...

How sweet!!!! They look so tasty and very cute!

Rosie said...

Hi Ruth, thank you and have a great V Day too!! :D

Many thamks for calling by! :D

Rosie x

Cakelaw said...

Awww, Rosie, these are so cute. Happy Valentines Day to you!

Anonymous said...

This is so gorgeous Rosie, your Valentine is sure one blessed person! :D Happy V-Day!

Chibog in Chief said...

oh they are sooooooooooooooo adorable :-)

Rosie said...

Many thanks curiousfoodie & Dhanggit and wishing you both a wonderful V Day today! :D

Many thamks for calling by!

Rosie x