It just isn’t Valentine’s Day without a decadent dessert, right? These dark chocolate Valentine cupcakes with vanilla buttercream icing are just what you need for happy kids or a romantic dinner for you and your hubby.
Chocolate cake is absolutely my favorite kind of cake. Just ask my husband… he usually bakes me a double or triple-layer chocolate cake every year for my birthday and tops it with loads of chocolate icing. It’s to die for. But there’s something to be said for a subtle vanilla icing, too. This combination of dark, rich chocolate cake with a lighter-tasting buttercream icing will have you and your family all smiles on Valentine’s Day.
Recipe for dark chocolate Valentine cupcakes:
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. Hershey's dark cocoa powder
- 4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. unsalted butter
- 2 c. granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 c. whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and eggs until light and fluffy.
- Add baking powder, salt and cocoa. Cream together until smooth.
- Add 1/3 of the flour and stir until well combined. Add 1/2 of the milk and blend well.
- Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour and the rest of the milk.
- Add the remaining 1/3 of the flour and stir until combined.
- Pour cupcake batter into greased and lined pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack for at least 30 minutes to complete cooling process.
And here’s the recipe for that delicious vanilla buttercream icing. Can’t you just taste it?
INGREDIENTS FOR VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. cold milk
DIRECTIONS FOR VANILLA BUTTERCREAM ICING
1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter.
2. Add half of the sugar and mix well on medium speed with a mixer.
3. Add the rest of the sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. TIP- to thin icing, add 1 T milk and to thicken icing, add 1 T powdered sugar.
5. Using a decorating tip and disposable bag or Ziploc bag, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake.
Garnish cupcakes with red hot candies in the shape of X’s, O’s and hearts. I used a few candy hearts to place in the middle of the hearts but this is optional. Enjoy!
Want to make a super impressive Valentine’s dessert to wow your sweetheart? Try my friend Michelle’s Dark Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream. Doesn’t it look decadent? Serve these cupcakes with a romantic Valentine’s Day cocktail or mocktail.
If you enjoyed these Dark Chocolate Valentine Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing, you may also enjoy more Valentine’s Day recipes, crafts and activities:
