50+ Valentine's Day Desserts - Cakes, Cookies and MORE!
Beautiful cherry cupcakes that are pink and perfect for Valentine's all topped with a homemade buttercream frosting.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon buttermilk plus 2 tbsp
- 3 maraschino cherry juice
- 8 maraschino cherries finely chopped
- 3 egg whites
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 3 ½-4 cups powdered sugar
- Valentine's Day Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two standard cupcake pan with 16 liners, set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and the almond extract.
- In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a glass measuring cup mix together the buttermilk, cherry juice and chopped cherries. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry and wet ingredients, mix until batter is smooth (being careful not to over mix).
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, using a hand mixer. Fold into the batter.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ¾ of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when touched.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 25 minutes).
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Beat until fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- With mixing speed on low, add heavy cream, then gradually add ½ cup powdered sugar at a time until the mixture becomes soft but firm enough to hold its shape. Beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If the consistency is too thick, add a little more cream and beat for 30 seconds more.
- Pipe or spread onto cool cupcakes and decorate with cherries or Valentine's Day sprinkles.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 12g | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 791IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg