Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cupcakes

Good morning friends! Did you have a good weekend? Did you watch the game? Did your team win? I had it on in the background and watched the commercials, I actually laughed out load at a few, others I was left scratching my head. We skipped the pizza and I made chili and we had a few appetizers. Other than that the weather was rainy and cold and it was a great excuse to read and regroup for the week ahead.

Valentine’s Day is Sunday and I have another easy and delicious recipe for you to make, semi-homemade chocolate cupcakes and the best buttercream frosting, add a few sprinkles and I promise that anyone you share these with will love them.

Semi-homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients for Cupcakes

1 package devils food cake mix

16 oz. sour cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 tsp.  vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with baking cups, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cake mix, sour cream, butter, and eggs on low until just mixed, then turn the mixer on medium and beat for 2 minutes. Then add vanilla and mix again to incorporate. Pour batter into baking cups, do not fill more than 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, check the cupcakes at 20 minutes with a toothpick. Once the toothpick comes out clean remove from oven and cool a couple of minutes on a wire rack, then remove cupcakes from pan and finish cooling the cupcakes on the wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups softened butter

3-4 cups of sifted powdered sugar

1-3 tablespoons of milk, I used almond milk

2-3 tablespoons of vanilla extract

food coloring, pink

sprinkles, colored sugar

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter for 3-4 minutes, you want the butter to be light and creamy, scrape down the sides periodically. The add the sifted powder sugar and mmix on low until incorporated, then turn the mixer on medium-high and beat until fluffy, 1 minute. Then add the vanilla and the milk, and beat again. Check the frosting for taste, you might need to add a little more powdered sugar if you want it to be sweeter. The same with the milk, you can add a little more to get it to a spreadable consistency. Be careful not to add to much milk. I like to divid the frosting into bowls and then mix in the food coloring by hand. You can then frost the cupcakes using a knife and add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Once cupcakes are frosted decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!

If you are not a fan of chocolate than make yellow or vanilla cupcakes, if you do not like to use a box mix by all means use your favorite from scratch recipe. If buttercream isn’t your favorite frosting than use the one you like . You can customize these cupcakes anyway that you like. I personally am partial to homemade cupcakes with copious amounts of frosting and no sprinkles.

These cupcakes are a scrumptious dessert for your “Galantine’s” or Valentine’s Day celebration, you could make extra to share with your friends and family or keep them all to yourself. The cupcake freeze well, I make extra and freeze them without frosting.

Celebrating at home can be just as easy and romantic and fun as it is going out, bring out your fancy dress, dinnerware, glasses and your favorite food, add a special semi-homemade or homemade dessert and you have the perfect celebration. After all your family and friends are what is most important.

Have a wonderful day my friends. Stay warm and safe this week, it is going to be very cold. Make sure that if you are going to be out that you have the proper clothing and take provisions in your car “just in case” you have a problem.