Valentine Cupcake Recipe

Follow this Valentine cupcake recipe and you'll be sure to win hearts and love on Valentine's day. If you don't have a cupcake or muffin pan, turn the Valentine cupcake recipe into a cake by pouring the batter into a 8-inch round pan. Dye the frosting pink or red and pipe it on to the Valentine cupcake to truly wow your loved one.

To make the Valentine cupcake recipe, you will need:

• Muffin pan
• Cupcake liners
• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooling rack
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Red food coloring
• Piping bag
• Candy hearts and sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. This Valentine cupcake recipe makes about 16 cupcakes, so you may need to use two muffin pans.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine then set aside.
3. Cream together butter and sugar using the hand mixer. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.
4. Fill the muffin cups with the Valentine cupcake batter. Do not fill each cup more than 2/3 of the way full. Slide into the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in center cupcake comes out clean. Remove the Valentine cupcakes from the oven and let cool completely on the cooling rack.
5. Make the Valentine cupcake recipe frosting by beating together the butter, milk and vanilla extract. Add the confectioner's sugar, one half cup at a time to the cupcake frosting, mixing until you have a nice, thick frosting. You may not need all the sugar. Add a few drops of food coloring until the frosting is the color you'd like.
6. Fill a piping bag with the frosting. Squeeze the frosting into swirls on top of each completely cooled Valentine cupcake. Place a candy heart on each cupcake or decorate with red or pink sprinkles.