Valentine’s Day Showcase – Lisa from Cupcakes, Hairbows & Kiddos

Welcome to Day 5 of the Valentine’s Day Showcase. There have been some absolutely amazing projects so far and today I have a yummy treat in store for you. My best friend, Lisa, just launched her new blog, Cupcakes, Hair Bows & Kiddos (yesterday!) and she is here sharing her very own original Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Butter Cream with us! Please go check out her blog and follow her – she doesn’t have much now, but believe me when I say you won’t regret the decision!

1. What got you hooked on your craft of choice?
I love the process of baking, and I especially love tasting the results!

2. What lights your crafting fire (ie. what keeps you crafting, why do you do it?)?
I love having things that I have made, to give to the people who are special to me. Whether it be a bow to match an outfit for my daughter, a quilt, a homemade card, or a tasty baked good. It is so fulfilling to see someone smile and enjoying something I made especially for them.

3. What is your favorite Valentine’s themed junk food?
Chocolate, of course!! 🙂

Ok Lisa, teach us your yummy baking secrets!
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Thank you, Melissa, for letting me invade your blog today. I am Lisa from Cupcakes, Hair Bows and Kiddos. I am just starting out on my blogging adventure, and I would love it if you would follow along. My blog is about baking, quilting, and crafting with, and for, my kids.

Now I know that you are all crafting away right now, and getting your projects ready to link up in Melissa’s Valentine’s Day linky party. But, have you thought about dessert for you and your sweetie (or kids) to share on that special day? No worries… I have got you covered! How about some Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Butter Cream? What says romance more than dark chocolate and the spice of cinnamon? If you ask me, not much. So let’s get baking!

First off let’s talk cocoa powder. I love dark chocolate and was so excited too come across this deliciousness. Thank you Hershey’s!

You can of course use any brand, or type of cocoa powder you choose, this is just the one I like.

You will want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

First we are going to cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar.

I use my trusty KitchenAid stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work just fine.

Mix them until they are fully combined and look something like this.

In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients.

Mix with a spoon until combined. Should look something like this.

Set this aside.

To the butter and sugar mixture add your eggs, oil, warm water and vanilla. I like to crack my eggs into my glass measuring cup with my oil, that way if there are any shell pieces they are easy to get out.

Mix until fully combined. Your mixture should now look something like this.

Now it is time to add in your dry ingredients. This is best done 1/2 cup at a time. Mix between each addition. Once all mixed, your batter should look like this.

It should should be thick, but still fall off your mixer’s paddle.

For this batch I used a Wilton brand heart-shaped silicone mold pan, and Wilton brand silicone heart-shaped cupcake molds. They look like this:

I filled the small heart molds about 2/3 full and the cupcake molds to the line on the inside. Here they are before baking:

Then I sprinkled the tops with some pretty nonpareils,

and baked.

If you use small molds like my blue one, or mini-muffin tins, it will take 7-10 minutes and normal size cupcakes will take 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

While you are waiting for your cupcakes to cool, let’s get started on the frosting. First you want to cream together the butter and the shortening.

Sift your powdered sugar. I used 2 cups for mine.

Beat until fluffy. Once it looks like this

add your cinnamon extract, cocoa powder and milk, and mix completely. Start with 3 tablespoons of milk. If you want a thinner butter cream, add more. (3 was perfect for mine) It should look something like this

From here you can either spread on your frosting onto your yummy cupcakes, pipe it on nice and pretty.

Here are my cooled cupcakes…

And here they are all dressed up!

And what would making cupcakes be without a little helper?

Enjoy!

 

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Butter Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

For the cake:

6Tbsp butter
1/4C packed brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar (or superfine sugar)
2 eggs
1/3C veggie oil
2tsp vanilla
1.5C flour
1.5tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon powder
1tsp salt
1C cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate)
1C warm water

For the Frosting:

1/2C(8Tbsp)unsalted butter (softened)
1/2C(8Tbsp) shortening (room temperature)
2-3 cups powdered sugar
3/4C cocoa powder
3-5Tbsp milk
1/4tsp cinnamon extract

Makes 18-24 standard cupcakes. I got 12 standard size and 24 mini hearts out of my batter. Bake minis 7-10 minutes. Standard size 10-15 minutes.

I hope you enjoy your cupcakes. Thank you for reading. Thank you again Melissa for letting me share my recipe. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
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So I will share with you the cruelest joke of all – I am allergic to chocolate and I can’t have any of Lisa’s cupcakes – so you all have to make them and then tell me what I am missing out on!!!

Have you started your project for the Showcase Linky Party yet? We have some great prizes for three lucky entrants – so you better get creating!

NOTE: Don’t forget, I am one of the bloggers who is going to lose Google Friend Connect in March 2012, please take a moment and follow me via Bloglovin’, Facebook, RSS or networked blogs.  You are important to me and I want to be able to stay in contact with you!  Check my side bar for all the best ways to stay in touch after GFC goes bye bye!