For My Valentine Cupcakes

Today is the day for romance and I wish for you a very romantic day filled with love and happiness! :) I would like to present you all on this Valentines Day a Red Rose with my love from Rosie x Please feel free to copy & post it on your Blog {if you have one).

My gift for my hubby Mr R, had to be something from my heart and baking is one thing I do with passion and it comes from within my heart. So, this is how I came up with this idea of “For My Valentine Cupcakes”.

The texture is very light and airy like Cupid himself flying through the air! The buttercream has a creaminess, which melts in your mouth to take you on a journey of delightfulness. With little decorations of red ribbon and red hearts and more hearts with rose buds in red, finalises those three words “I love you”.

For My Valentine Cupcakes

For My Valentine Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients
100g (4 oz) ground almonds
150g (5 oz) self-raising flour
175g (6 oz) caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
150ml (5 fl oz) double cream
3 eggs
175g (6 oz) melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Buttercream icing
150g (5 oz) softened butter
225g (8 oz) sieved icing sugar
1 – 2 tbsp milk - add 1 tbsp to begin with and extra if required
For Decoration
48 Red fondant hearts – 4 for each cupcake
Red ribbon to place around the base of each cupcake case
A little sellotape to secure each ribbon at the back of the cupcakes
Sugar red hearts and rose buds on wires coated in red ribbon (optional)

You will also need 12-holed muffin tin lined with 12 paper muffin cases.

Method

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

For the sponge, place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl making a well in the middle. In a large jug add the cream, eggs, vanilla extract and melted cooled butter, then whisk with a fork to combine the ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and carefully with a large metal spoon fold through gently until combined. (Don’t overwork the mixture or the sponge will not be as light.) The mixture will be quite runny but don’t worry this is normal. With a spatula scrap the mixture into a large jug and pour equally into each muffin paper case.

Place into the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the middle of sponge feels firm to touch golden brown, and or a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool fully.

To make the buttercream icing, sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter and milk. With a wooden spoon beat the icing mixture until creamy. Place the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe the icing around the top of each cupcake, or use a spatula instead and smooth down the icing. Lastly place the decorations on top of each cupcake and also place a red ribbon around each cupcake case and secure in place with a little sellotape.

Note: you could also use curls of chocolate for decoration with the red edible hearts instead of wired hearts and rose buds.

To make the red hearts you will need a little red fondant icing and a small heart plunge cutter. Roll out the fondant thinly and cut out the heart shapes with the plunge cutter. Leave to dry a little before placing on the cake(s).

Please ensure the wired sugar hearts and rose buds are removed before eating if using for decoration. Also including the red ribbon (I wouldn’t want your Valentine to choke).