Decadent Dark Chocolate Heart Cupcakes

I love cupcakes. I love chocolate. I love hearts. This was the perfect, delicious harmony for my cupcakes that I baked tonight. I am taking these yummy little bad boys with me to work for my co-workers. For sure I wanted them to be red or pink or with hearts, and luckily I had both! It's a really simple recipe, but will admit that it's a bit time consuming. Perhaps not so much for someone else, but I'm slightly a perfectionist :)

Here is the recipe for you to try:

Moist Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder (not baking soda :)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk (split in half)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• cupcake liners

Makes 12 - 14 cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is soft, then add the sugar. Beat for about 3 minutes.

• Add the eggs, one at a time beating until they are combined well.

• Combine all the dry ingredients with a whisk in a separate bowl.

• Add 1/3 of the dry mix to the butter and sugar and beat it just until combined. Add half the milk and half the vanilla extract, scrape the bowl and beat with the mixer until combined. Now add in another 1/3 of the dry mix, and beat. Add in the final half of the milk and vanilla, and beat. Lastly, add in the last of the dry mix and beat. It's important that you alternate the dry and wet like that.

• Now fill your cupcake liners in your cupcake pan 2/3 of the way and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then frost.


Strawberry Buttercreme Frosting
Note: This isn't perfected, and it made way more frosting than was needed for my cupcakes.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
• Red food color
• 6 or more tbsp. whole milk

• In a large mixing bowl beat your butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, strawberry extract and about 5 - 6 drops of red food color.

• Add in 6 tbsp or milk or more until you get the consistency you want.


I'm sure if you stopped there, they'd be a showstopper on their own. I went a step further and bought a tiny little cookie cutter from Wilton at my local hobby store. I just made packaged brownie mix and used parchment paper underneath my brownies to ensure that they'd be completely non stick (I never have luck with brownies not sticking to my pans). When the brownies cooled, I just cookie cut them.