heart cupcakes.

Hi.

Did you have any delicious treats on Valentine's Day? Chocolate, maybe? I hope it was dark. 60% and above only, please.

I was treated to a lot of Reese's pb cups, Lindt orange chocolate, sugar cookies, and a hilarious valentine's card. I know it's a controversial holiday, but it's nice to see all you have to be thankful for. Your love doesn't only extend to a significant other! Remember your siblings? And the (brave, let's be honest) people who raised you? I'm sure they deserve your appreciation, too.


Everyone has their own way of showing their closeness with other people. Some buy lavish gifts. Some set aside a special time just for those that deserve it. Personally, I like the little things. Not the whole big show, but the details .. the behind the scenes things. A little favor done here. A cute note left as a surprise. It's hard, because I feel like people don't usually notice that that's my way of showing appreciation, but that's just what I do.

A chocolate cupcake, of a heart shape carved into its top, perfectly enclosing a circlet of barely pink cream cheese frosting may be a little less subtle.

As much as I might not be a fan of the actual day (not in any due part to a lack of a significant other, obviously..), I love valentine's-themed things! Like nail designs. Also alll the pink & heart-shaped food ideas. I saw an icebox cake layered with whipped cream that followed a gradient of pink shades. And these skewers with cherry tomatoes cut to resemble a heart!

Love it.

These cupcakes were pretty easy to assemble. I'm pretty picky when it comes to decorating, so I tend to spend exorbitant amounts of time on it. But this was quick!

Use any basic cupcake recipe. I doctored a chocolate fudge cake mix - used milk instead of water, plus a little mayo. Bake them to a moist, fluffy perfection.

Lob the tops off. That's right, just slice that muffin top off. Don't you wish it were that easy in real life, with those .. other .. muffin tops?

Use a knife to carve out a heart shape into the muffin top you just removed. Pop out the little heart, and adjust as necessary. This is not hard, trust me.

Dollop some tinted frosting onto the cupcake.

I made cream cheese frosting, using 8 oz. of cream cheese, 3/4 stick of butter, about 2 cups confectioner's sugar, and some vanilla. I added red dye to make pink.

Replace the muffin top.

Admire.

And that's all! I made about 20 of these, and because almost no one in the apartment eats sweet things anymore but me, I need to get rid of them. Come over and take some, please?