Very Vanilla Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day

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Confession time … I am Social Media awkward Socially Media awkward socially awkward, especially when it comes to Social Media.

I am the person who rarely visits Facebook … when I do, I rarely make comments.

I am the person who will read blogs and forget to make a comment … or can’t think of something clever, so I say nothing.

I am the person that signed up for a Twitter account … never tweeted.

I am the person that finally has joined Pinterest … I have just a few boards.

I am working on correcting my awkwardness … it’s not easy … I have to remind myself to be more Social Media friendly … it just doesn’t come natural to me.

I realized that I have posted messages on Facebook and asked for people to vote for my cupcake in a contest and haven’t read much of what others have posted … I can’t believe that I’ve been so self centered.  I’m sorry 😦

I am an old school social person … give me a telephone any day … I’ll talk to you for an hour!   I’ll talk … even if I have nothing to talk about!  Don’t worry … I don’t have your phone number … I won’t call and bug you 😉

May I offer you a cupcake … I know this won’t makeup for all of my mistakes … but it really is a good vanilla cupcake … trust me, they will make you happy 🙂

Very Vanilla Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

Very Vanilla Cupcakes    (makes 12)

  • 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1-1/8 teaspoons baking powder
  • heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.  Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla.  Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter.  Gradually add in the sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Beat in the flour and milk mixtures, alternating 1/3 of each at a time, until each mixture is fully incorporated and the batter is smooth.
  5. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter.  Bake the cupcakes until puffed, set and lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.
  6. Cool the cupcakes before frosting.

Very Vanilla Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
  1. In large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter with 2 cups of the powdered sugar until combined.  Beat in the cream and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating until smooth.
  2. With the mixer set to low-speed, gently beat in the remaining sugar until combined.  Increase the speed and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

(recipes slightly adapted from Joan’s on Third via Los Angeles Times)

If you are ever in Los Angeles, I highly recommend a visit to Joan’s on Third … guaranteed to be a yummy experience 🙂

Now for the marbled hearts … they really are easy peasy and this is what you will need …

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  • 4 ounces white candy melts
  • 4 ounces red candy melts
  • extra bowl
  • cookie sheet lined with wax paper
  • heart cookie cutters

Melt the 2 bowls of candy melts, pour the white candy in the extra bowl, add the red candy and stir once or twice, just to “marble” the candy …

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Pour the candy on the prepared cookie sheet (hint – make sure the cookie sheet is not cold or the candy may harden too quickly).  Spread it out with the back of a spoon … tap it on the counter to make it smooth …

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Let it sit at room temperature until firm … use sharp cookie cutters to cut out hearts (my ruffled edge heart was not sharp enough and didn’t make a nice clean-cut) …

marbled candy hearts

I chopped up the scraps and saved them to use as sprinkles …

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Vanilla Valentine Cupcakes

I ♥ your comments …

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22 thoughts on “Very Vanilla Cupcakes for Valentine’s Day”

  1. I can totally relate. I love creating projects for my blog, but having to spend hours each week spreading the word on social media is a challenge. I don’t get Twitter. I don’t know how people connect by reading thousands of tweets a day. I love Pinterest but don’t use the social aspect of it as it’s intended and Facebook can suck hours out of my day. I like reading blog posts either via e-mail or on the actual blog, not on a feed. I too visit lots of blogs, but don’t often comment even though I love getting comments on my own blog. It’s not that I’m not social, it’s just that there are so many hours in a day and typing takes time, plus all that typing takes it’s toll on my carpal tunnel inflicted hands. So, don’t feel bad about being social media awkward. You aren’t alone:)

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    • I am happy to know that I’m not alone. You are so right about the typing … I try to multitask … yesterday I had a phone conversation with my sister and cleaned the floors at the same time … I can’t clean the floors while typing! I too, love getting comments and enjoy replying to them 🙂

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  2. Awesome! Love Vanilla this are perfect!
    I actually use Facebook more than my e-mail!
    I even gave yours out to a Facebook friend who was looking for cooking blogs.
    As for blogs, I do work on my own and check out the (Scrapbooking) Design Team blogs I am on. I will do Blog Hops if I know I am available or have been asked to be apart of.
    Michelle – ScrapbookingSOS.blogspot.com

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  4. The cupcakes look wonderful and adore them cut-out hearts.
    I’m not a tweeter, don’t do facebook or any of that other stuff. I’m doing good just to make it through my emails during the day. I don’t even answer my home phone half the time. I feel if it’s important they can leave a message.
    A bit early; but wishing you a Very Happy Valentine’s Day.
    ColleenB
    Tx

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  7. It’s raining here. Just wanted everyone that it does rain in Calif. I love these. My husbands favorite cake white. I especially like the large heart. That doesn’t just say Happy Valentines Day, it screams it. It would also be pretty with a little heart taken out of the middle. Thank you for your time.

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  11. Love the marbled hearts. I can imagine cutting out swirly Christmas trees, shamrocks, Easter eggs, etc..
    QUESTIONS: Did you use cooking spray on the cookie cutters? If so – need to do it every time you make a cut or just spray it once and you’re good to go?
    How do you guage the right time to cut them out? If you let the chocolate sit too long it will be brittle and you can’t use a cookie cutter.

    Thanks
    Tavette – S. Florida

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    • Thank you Tavette 🙂 No cooking spray is needed. The chocolate is easiest to cut as soon as it is firmed up (not cold), about room temperature. You can also cut the shapes and let it sit a little longer if you are worried that the chocolate is not ready to be handled … hope that helps 😉

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