Valentines Day Cupcakes 1

Happy Valentines day everyone! Remi is my valentine this year haha. For this holiday, I really got into the spirit and made a white cake that I colored into red, pink and white. Chocolate, as the yummiest aphrodisiac, was used as the frosting. The cake is light and airy, not too sweet, which goes amazingly well with the richness of the chocolate fudge frosting. Enjoy =]


White Cupcakes-

Makes 24

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self rising)
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cup sugar
5 large egg white, room temp
Red food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cupcake tines with paper liners. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Stir in the vanilla extract into the milk. Set aside
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar and until pale and creamy. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until combined
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Do not over mix. Fold the eggs whites into the batter in three parts. 
4. Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls. Add the red food coloring to one bowl to get a light pink color. Add the red food coloring to the second bowl to get a red color (or as close as you can get to red). Leave the last bowl white.
5. You can use the colors in any order you like. Use about 1 tablespoon of each batter in the tins, and layer the colors over each other. 
6. Bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting-

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp

2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

3/4 (+) cup sifter cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

Directions

1. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Sift together the sugar and cocoa powder, gradually adding it to the butter. 
2. Add in the milk, vanilla extract, and salt
3. Mix until creamy. Add more milk if the consistency is too thick
4. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes in any design