Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

To Make The Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

Using a mixer, preferably with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until mixed.

Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter into a prepared cupcake/muffin tin with liners. About 3/4 full.

Bake about 20 minutes, or until set. Let cool completely before icing.

To Making the Icing and Decorations:

Vanilla Frosting:

Ingredients:

Confectioners Sugar ( About 4-5 cups ), Sifted
1 tbs. Pure Vanilla Extract
1-2 Tbsp. Milk
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Cream together butter and shortening in mixer, with paddle attachment on medium for about 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth, Add another 1/2 cup. Add Vanilla.

Add gradually the remaining sugar and add milk until you reach the consistency you desire. A little bit thicker for piping would be best. If you are going to use a spatula to ice them, you can use a little less sugar and more milk for a thinner consistency to spread on the cupcake.

Continue to mix on medium until smooth.

Using a large star tip, pipe frosting onto cupcakes. You can decorate these in any way you desire. Try using different tips for different effects and texture.

For garnish you can add heart sprinkles, OR using Fondant add color using Wilton Icing Gel. Add a small amount of desired color to fondant and knead untill the color is completely incorporated. You want it not to look like tie-dye.

Using a rolling pin flatten out onto surface. To help it not stick, spread a small amount of cornstarch onto the counter. Using cookie cutters, cut out different sized heart shapes and allow to dry on counter while you bake/frost cupcakes. You can also make these a day ahead and allow them to dry on a flat surface overnight. They will be easier to use once hard.

I made mine before I baked my cupcakes, and once I was finished I placed them in my cupcake courier, and the little fondant hearts started to fold over! They weren’t hard enough yet and began to go soft again once they were covered. So make sure if you are placing them into a covered container, that the hearts are fully hard or else they will wilt, and you will wake up to some broken hearts!