Valentine’s Day Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

It’s almost February 14th, a day filled with two things; Love and chocolate. Or Chocolate and love depending on your priorities. I love a good chocolate cake so, I made these dark chocolate cupcakes with a simple fondant heart inspired by the Red Velvet Cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake in Washington,D.C.

I started with this dark chocolate cake recipe. It is one of the tastiest and easiest cakes I’ve ever made. I substituted milk with buttermilk to make the cake super moist. My cupcake uses a chocolate frosting, but feel free to use any frosting you want.

 

 

Dark Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa (dutch process or dark cocoa preferably)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk (use buttermilk if you have it!)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup boiling waterDirections

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F.  In large mixer bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water by hand (batter will be thin).  Fill cupcake liners half way with batter.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Frosting  via Food.com
1/2 cup butter , softened (you can use margarine but the flavor will not be the same)
2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar , sifted
1/3 cup whipping cream or half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder , siftedDirections:

Cream the butter in a small bowl. Blend in the cocoa powder ,vanilla and confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream. Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.To decorate :

Put your frosting in a plastic ziplock bag fitted with a 1A tip. Frost the circumference of the cake clockwise-going around twice.

The hearts are very simple and inexpensive to make. You can either make a super easy marshmallow fondant or buy fondant and dye it pink. Use a heart cut out ( I got mine from the craft store ) to cut the fondant. Simply place the mini hearts on the center of the cake and you’re done!

 

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