Brownie Heart Cupcakes

 

I just realized something pretty cool - this is my 100th divine baking post! Hopefully the next hundred (and the one after that...) will be just as fun.

I am the kind of person who uses any excuse/occasion to bake. If my sisters coworker is leaving her job, you can guess who is baking the farewell dessert! People think I'm doing them a favor. but really it is selfish, because I love, love, baking.

With that said, we can now move to the adorable cupcakes. The best way to show someone you care is chocolate (or is that only me?), and these cupcakes will do the trick. A brownie-like cake with a melt-in-your-mouth buttercream topped with a brownie heart... delicious! you will be loved forever.

Brownie Heart Cupcakes

Adapted From Martha Stewart

Printable Recipe

Vegetable oil cooking spray

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

15 ounces (3 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Coat an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom with parchment, then spray parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

Attach bowl to mixer, add sugar, and whisk on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Spread remaining batter in square pan. 

Bake until set but still soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins and pan on wire racks.

Frost cupcakes with buttercream. Cut out 24 hearts from brownie in pan using a 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter. Top each cupcake with a heart.

Buttercream Frosting

Adapted From My Baking Addiction

Printable Recipe

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

pinch of fine grain sea salt

1 tablespoon clear vanilla extract

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

4-6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

food coloring, optional

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Slowly add in confectioner’s sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.

Add salt, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

 

Notes

-This recipe will make enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 9 inch layer cake.

-You can easily adjust the consistency of this recipe by simply adding in more heavy cream or milk.

-Clear vanilla extract is used in this recipe to keep the frosting nice and white. If you don’t mind a slight color change, feel free to use pure vanilla extract.

-Covered and refrigerated frosting can be stored for up to three days. Simply bring it to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream or milk to revive the consistency.

-If you choose to dye your frosting, go easy with the dye. Remember, you can always add more color, but you can’t remove it.