Makes 12 deep cupcakes
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
75 g unsalted butter
150 g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1 tsp thick paste food colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 g cocoa powder
125 ml buttermilk
175 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Frosting
150 g unsalted butter at room temperature
150 g icing sugar
300 g full-fat cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate hearts
100g plain chocolate, broken into small pieces
100g white chocolate, broken into small pieces
Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan. Line a muffin cake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk or in a mixer.
Add the eggs and whisk well.
In a small bowl, mix together the red food colouring, and vanilla extract to a paste – Add this mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined and coloured well!
Turn the speed down so it's slow and mix in the cocoa powder.
Pour in half of the buttermilk and beat on a slow speed. Add in half of the flour and beat again, and then the other half of the buttermilk & beat, and then the other half of the flour & beat.
Now beat in the Bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and vinegar. Beat again briefly until everything is smooth and incorporated well.
Spoon into the cases each being just about 2/3 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean when poked with a skewer! Once the cakes are baked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, now add the cream cheese and vanilla extract.
To Decorate
Carefully melt the plain chocolate in a bowl in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, spoon into a piping bag. Snip a tiny bit off the end. Place greaseproof paper on a tray and pipe hearts. Leave to harden.
Then, melt the white chocolate and fill the hearts with that. Leave to cool and harden.
Pipe the cream cheese and top with hearts and all sorts of sprinkles.