Pink Velvet Cuppin' Cakes

Pink Velvet Cupcakes
I've always wanted to make a pink velvet cupcake. Now, with Valentines around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time. These cupcakes are a updated, knock-off of a red velvet cupcake. Red velvet cupcakes consist of essentially a chocolate batter (dyed deep red) with a dense cream cheese frosting. I wanted the pink velvet cupcakes to be a white chocolate batter (dyed pink) with a whipped, lighter cream cheese frosting. Topped with pink marzipan hearts and pink sprinkles, these cupcakes were undeniably cute. I think every girl under 12 would probably die to have some of these at her birthday party.

How did they taste? Excellent. The frosting is not a "cream cheese overload." It was more sweeter, which paired nicely with the tang. The cupcake was also quite delicious, but it tasted more like a dense vanilla cupcake than a white chocolate cupcake. I searched long and hard for a good recipe, and finally settled on Food and Wine's white chocolate cupcakes. I picked this one because, out of the recipes I've seen, it was the one that included the MOST white chocolate in the batter. When I sampled the batter, it first tasted like a yummy vanilla batter, and then the white chocolate hit you as a pleasant aftertaste. When I baked them, though, the "white chocolate-ness" did diminish some. I think one of the problems is that white chocolate tastes so much like vanilla anyway. I will experiment with this batter again to see if I can get a more chocolaty flavor, but that's just because I am a choc-o-holic. I might try the white chocolate cupcake recipe from Crazy about Cupcakes (Krystina Castella), since I bought that book last year and haven't really done anything with it. Either way, this cupcake has a great flavor (particularly if you like the vanilla - vanilla combination on cupcakes).

By the way, if you'd like a lighter crumb (not as dense), substitute half of the flour with cake flour.

Enjoy!

Marzipan Hearts
3.5 oz (half of a regular tube - 70z; you can find in almost any baking aisle of the grocery store)
Burgundy gel-paste coloring

1) Using a toothpick, dip into the gel-paste and slide the coloring over the marzipan, four times.
2) Knead the coloring into the marzipan.
3) Roll out the marzipan, about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.
3) Using a mini, heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes in the marzipan.
4) Store in an air-tight container (using parchment paper between stacks) until ready for use.










White Chocolate Cupcakes
24 cupcakes; 350 degree oven

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
Pink gel-paste coloring

1) Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
2) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3) Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating for about 10 seconds after each addition.
4) Add the vanilla.
5) At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions.
6) Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated.
7) Add anywhere from 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. of the pink gel paste coloring. Mix thoroughly.
7) Scoop batter into paper-lined muffin tins, about 2/3 full.
8) Bake 20-24 minutes, depending on your oven. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cupcake. If it comes out clean, they're done.
9) Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.


Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 - 3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp. whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1) In your mixer, whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes on med-high speed.
2) Add 1 cup of the sugar and whip until combined.
3) Add milk, vanilla and salt. Whip until combined.
4) Add another cup of sugar and whip. From here, add 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting has reached your desired consistency. (I believe I used 3 cups total.)
5) Turn you mixer to high and whip for about a minute.

*Note: this makes just enough for 24 cupcakes. If you like more frosting on your cupcakes, make a double-batch of this frosting.

Assembly
1) Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcake.
2) Sprinkle with pink sprinkles.
3) Add a marzipan heart as garnish.