Valentine’s Day Cupcakes are fluffy vanilla cupcakes made in festive pink and red colors with buttercream frosting. Perfect for parties or edible gifts.
This easy Holiday Recipe takes a classic Vanilla Cake Base to make delicious cupcakes perfect for the season. The bright red and pink Buttercream Frosting make Valentine Cupcakes adorable as they are delicious!
VALENTINE’S DAY CUPCAKES
Making fun Valentine Cupcakes is a great activity to enjoy with your kids in the days leading up to Valentine’s. Use gel food coloring to make the bright frosting colors and top them off with as many fun sprinkles as you’d like. Decorating is one of the best parts of this recipe so I like to go all out. If you’re making it a family activity put out bowls of sprinkles, pink heart candy, cinnamon hearts, Hershey’s kisses, and any other festive toppings you can think of.
If you want more variety to your holiday cupcake baking, try using the same frosting to top a chocolate cupcake recipe or Red Velvet Cupcakes. To make a chocolate cupcake recipe only use ¾ cup all-purpose flour and add ½ cup cocoa powder to your dry ingredients.
Once you’ve made Valentine Cupcakes you can package them up in gift boxes for an edible gift. Send them out as a homemade gift to share with friends, family, and neighbors. They’re sure to add a little extra brightness to the holiday!
MORE CUPCAKE RECIPES
Salted Dark Chocolate Cupcakes stuffed with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Cloud Frosting
M&M’s Stuffed Easy Vanilla Cupcakes
Gluten Free Salted Caramel Cupcakes
TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT CUPCAKES
- Prep time: Get everything ready for the recipe by preheating your oven, and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. If you have Valentine liners that’s another way you can make this dessert even more festive.
- Cake mix: In a large-sized bowl or stand mixer beat together the butter and sugar mixture until it’s light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Mix together until the wet ingredients are smooth. In a separate bowl sift together the flour mixture. Add the dry ingredients and combine the batter at its lowest speed. Be careful not to overmix. Once the dry ingredients are combined into the batter separate it into 3 bowls.
- Food coloring: Whisk pink gel food coloring into one bowl and red into the second. Use an ice cream scoop to layer 2 tablespoons of each color into the muffin cups. Start with pink, then red, then top it off with white.
- Bake: Put the cupcakes in the oven to cook for 18-20 minutes. You can use a toothpick to test if they’re done before taking them out. Let the cupcakes cool completely before adding the icing.
- Frosting: Cream the butter at low speed in your stand mixer. Once it’s fluffy add the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments. After the powdered sugar is mixed in, raise the speed and continue mixing for another minute. Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and continue beating for 30 seconds.
- Decorating: Separate the frosting into 2 bowls. Whisk pink food coloring into one and red into the other. Use a piping bag to add frosting to the top of each cupcake. Add sprinkles and other toppings as desired.
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VARIATIONS ON VALENTINE’S DAY CUPCAKES
- White Chocolate: Try adding a white chocolate drizzle to the top of the cupcakes. Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and mix until smooth. Drizzle the chocolate on top and let it set before serving.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: If you prefer the flavor, use Cream Cheese Frosting instead of Buttercream.
- Strawberry Glaze: You could also make a homemade strawberry glaze to go on top. To make a strawberry glaze combine
- Fresh Raspberry Buttercream: To make a fresh raspberry buttercream add 1 cup of fresh raspberries to the buttercream mixture. Blend the raspberries until pureed and then mix them in.
MORE VALENTINE’S RECIPES
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Oreos
Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Lava Cake
HOW TO STORE VALENTINE’S DAY CUPCAKES
- Serve: Once the cupcakes are cooled, you can cover them to store in your pantry for 1-2 days.
- Store: To keep them longer put the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
- Freeze: You can also freeze vanilla cupcakes for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 6-8 drops red food coloring , or more if needed
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tray with liner cups.
- To a stand mixer add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and add it to the stand mixer on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Separate the batter into three bowls.
- Whisk pink food coloring into one until fully combined.
- Whisk red food coloring into the second bowl until fully combined.
- Do not add filling to the third bowl.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups with 2 tablespoons of pink batter.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups with 2 tablespoons of red batter.
- Using an ice cream scoop fill the cups with 2 tablespoons of regular white batter.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
- To your stand mixer on low-speed cream the butter then start adding in the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until fully combined then raise the speed to medium-high for 1 additional minute.
- Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy for 30 seconds.
- Separate frosting into two bowls.
- Whisk pink food coloring into one until fully combined.
- Whisk red food coloring into the second bowl until fully combined.
- Add frostings to piping bags and frost cupcakes.
- Top with desired sprinkles.
Nutrition
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