I meant to post these Mini Vanilla Cupcakes in time for Valentine’s Day. I made them awhile ago to use up the Raspberry-Rose Buttercream from the French Macarons recipe I wrote about here. My intention was to swirl the buttercream elegantly on top of the cupcakes. Well, after a few days in the fridge, the buttercream had changed texture and was impossible to pipe. I think it may have been due to being too cold. It still tasted delicious, though.

I decided to just put a dollop of buttercream on each cupcake and then top with whatever garnishes I had around the kitchen. Being that it was close to Valentine’s Day I had some Conversation Hearts on hand. I also thought that some Belgian White Chocolate Strawberry Curls (Euro Kitchen brand) would look elegant on some of them. The chocolate curls are the garnish on the cupcake in the picture above.

The Mini Vanilla Cupcakes have a dense, almost pound cake like texture and a lovely vanilla flavor. They are the perfect match for some rich Raspberry-Rose Buttercream.

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes The recipe yields just over two dozen.

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325℉.  Line a mini muffin tins with 24 paper liners.  Set pans aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and beating well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan 5 minutes.  Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely

5. Decorate cooled cupcakes as desired.

Cupcakes adapted from Joy Of Baking

How about some post Valentine’s music?

Billy Bragg-Valentine’s Day Is Over

This next one is when Valentine’s Day is REALLY over.

Neil Pye-Our Tune

Finally, Already Late, but lovely.

Antiqcool-Already Late

Cheers!