Is there anything sweeter than cupcakes on Valentine’s Day? These pretty treats do not disappoint!
Flowers, boxes of chocolates, handmade Valentine’s cards, and sweet confections: all hallmarks of Valentine’s Day, celebrated on February 14. These festive treats are a far cry from the origins of the day, which has long been a feast day in the Christian church. If you’re looking for the original St. Valentine, you may have a hard time finding him! There are several early martyrs with the name Valentine and numerous legends about martyrdom on February 14. Regardless, ever since the 15th century, Valentine’s Day has been about romance and showering your beloved with treats. Nowadays, it can also mean classroom parties, which often involve cupcakes.
While cupcakes may not be a grand romantic gesture like a dozen red roses, they are certainly adorable sweet treats, and they feed a crowd easily. The latter is a great benefit to keep in mind if you need to provide food for a classroom or office party on Valentine’s Day. While it’s easy to pick up a dozen or two of themed cupcakes from your grocery store bakery, homemade ones taste better and are usually more cost-effective.
You will love Valentine’s Day cupcakes because they look sweetly festive and, even better, taste decadently delicious. The chocolate base is moist with a tender crumb; unlike typical chocolate cupcakes, these are not dry (thanks to plenty of butter). The frosting makes for a cute contrast to the dark brown of the cupcakes. Pink and brown is a great color combo, and you can decorate with rainbow or heart-shaped sprinkles for that finishing touch.
Perfectly Softened Butter 101
Softened butter is a main ingredient in both the cake and the frosting parts of these cupcakes. With a little planning ahead, you can get perfectly softened butter. If you’re starting with refrigerated sticks, set them out on your counter about 45 minutes ahead of time. If you’re starting with frozen ones, they will need up to two hours before they’re softened. You want the butter to be soft to the touch but not starting to melt. When you press the top of the stick, your finger should leave an indentation.
How Do I store leftovers?
For leftovers, store at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The unfrosted cupcakes can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Why do the Eggs AND Milk need to be Room Temperature?
You want to start with room temperature eggs and milk because if they are mixed in as-is (read: chilled, straight out of the fridge), they will not blend well with the other ingredients. Especially the softened butter. Cold milk and eggs will cause the softened butter to ball up, and you won’t have a smooth batter.
Serving Suggestions
For serving, first, let’s talk decorating. You can pipe the frosting on with a piping bag or use a knife and just cover the cupcakes by spreading the frosting over the tops as thickly as you like. Sprinkles, jimmies, or Valentine’s decor candies all look great on top. If these are for a classroom party, consider letting the kids frost and decorate their own!
Otherwise, for serving, you can mix things up a bit and frost the chocolate cupcakes with this delightful Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting if you like the combo of strawberry and chocolate. As far as other sweet treats that pair well with Valentine’s Day cupcakes, consider options like a Valentine’s Day Cookie Cake or Salted Peanut Butter Pretzel Cowboy Cookies (made with pink, red, and white candies, of course!).
Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened, for frosting
- 5 cups powdered sugar for frosting
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for frosting
- 1 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk for frosting
- Red food coloring
- Sprinkles or heart-shaped candies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed. Add the vanilla extract. If the frosting is thin, add more powdered sugar as needed.
- Add the heavy cream or milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Add a few drops of red food coloring to achieve a pink color. Mix well.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the pink buttercream frosting.
- Decorate with sprinkles or heart-shaped candies.
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