With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I only have one thing to say to you...
You're my butter half.
We make a great pear.
Olive you so much.
Too corny? Or not corny enough?!?
Just thought you should know that my editing app was adamant that my previous sentences were grammatically incorrect.
Sorry, Editing App, but my sentence structure has never been more right.
When I was thinking of ideas for this recipe, I was literally so excited to make these. Like, literally having this recipe prepped and completed in early January.
Chocolate-covered strawberries are one of my favorite treats so putting them in a chocolate cupcake is like an angel getting their wings.
Putting a surprise inside a cupcake is really easy to do but takes a classic cupcake to the next level. Plus, it's really fun.
I know these buttercream roses look complicated but it's really easy to do. I suggest practicing on a piece of parchment paper first. It helps you get a few practice rounds in without wasting any or ruining a perfectly delicious cupcake. If you don't feel like going crazy with the frosting. You can also just use a butter knife and just spread it on top! The real gift is the hidden gem inside.
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 egg
½ cup of buttermilk
¼ cup of oil
½ cup of boiling water
Buttercream Frosting:
2 sticks of room temperature butter
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
¼ cup of heavy cream
A pinch of salt
Pink food coloring
Chocolate covered cherries, or any chocolate candy/truffle
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together to fully combine the ingredients and break up any lumps.
Add in eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Stir until almost combined. There should still be some clumps of flour throughout.
Then stir in the cup of boiling water. Gently, stir in the water. Be careful! Some water may splash out on you while stirring!
Line a cupcake dish with liners and fill about ⅔'s of the way full.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a chocolate-covered cherry (or chocolate candy/truffle of choice) inside the cupcake.
Place back in the oven for another 6-8 minutes.
While the cupcakes cool, let's make the frosting!
Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip up on a medium-high speed, using the whisk attachment.
When the butter looks fluffy and light, about 1 minute, turn down the speed and begin to add in the powdered sugar, followed by a sprinkle of salt.
Then, add in vanilla, heavy cream, and pink food coloring (just a little bit). Beat on high speed for about 1-2 minutes to really incorporate some air into the frosting!
Place a closed star tip into a piping bag and add in the frosting.
I think this works best by holding the piping back more vertical versus at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze enough pressure to make a star in the center of the cupcake. Then using the same amount of pressure continue to pull the frosting around the center part.
Once the rose has filled the entire cupcake, ease off the pressure of the piping bag to allow the frosting to gently stop and taper off. You can use your finger to gently push the tapered end into the rose.
Who needs actual roses when you can feast on these beauties?!? I'll take a cupcake any day, but a rose-shaped, chocolate-covered cherry stuffed cupcake!?! There's really no competition there.
Sorry, not sorry, Roses.
-Holly Michelle
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