Heart Cupcakes Food

HIDDEN HEART CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and food coloring with mixer until blended. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 15 to 18 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 30 min.; cover. Freeze 2 hours.
• Use foil handles to remove cheesecake from pan. Cut into 24 small hearts with 1-inch cookie cutter.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package; spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups (see Tip.) Insert cheesecake heart, point side down, in center of batter in each cup.
• Bake 18 to 20 min. or until tops of cupcakes are firm. Cool 10 min. Remove from pan to wire racks; cool completely.
• Prepare White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting; spread onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.

MINI CUPCAKE CHOCOLATE BOX

Steps:

• Bake mini chocolate cupcakes in foil liners, then microwave store-bought frosting (milk and dark chocolate flavors) until runny and spoon the frosting on top of the cupcakes. (Place whole almonds on a few before you frost so they'll look like classic boxed chocolates.) Drizzle melted white or dark chocolate on top. Fill a heart-shaped box with the cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE HEART CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with baking cups. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and chocolate. Whisk in cherry juice.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then continue to simmer until bubbles recede and solids on bottom of pan begin to turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Pour into sugar mixture; whisk until well combined and chocolate has melted. Whisk in eggs, then dry ingredients.
• Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool in tin 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 (this will help create clean cuts).
• Use a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter to remove a 3/4-inch-deep heart from each of 6 cupcakes (removing a bit of additional cake, if desired, to create more room for frosting). Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain round tip (such as Ateco #806) with frosting. Pipe frosting to fill heart cutouts. Pipe 1/4 cup frosting on remaining cupcakes. Top frosted cupcakes with heart cutouts. Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

HEART OF THE BATTER

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the strawberry milk, beginning and ending with flour, until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece of cake out of the top of each cupcake (about the same size as the strawberries), stopping about 1/2 inch from the bottom. Stuff with the strawberries, then cover with a small piece of the removed cake.
• Make the frosting: Sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Transfer half of the sugar-cocoa mixture to a large bowl; add the butter and 1/4 cup cream and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the remaining sugar-cocoa mixture and 1/4 cup cream and beat until fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. Top each with a strawberry half.