With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought I’d continue with my recent theme of romantic gifts and treats… with a dark twist. So… whether you are looking to surprise a loved one, bring a dish to an Anti Valentine Party, or even send your kid to school with Valentine treats for their class (oh please, please someone send their kid to school with these!!)…. Put your apron on, and get to work on these Gothic Valentine Cupcakes…. made straight from your beating heart!
This week, I’m back in the kitchen. If you’ve read this blog, you’ll know I have a thing for making skull shaped foods….. The Spinach Feta Stuffed Skulls make an amazing yet gruesome appetizer. The Vanilla Skull Cookies are the perfect snack when you have a sweet tooth. My latest favorite creation, Raspberry Filled Chocolates Skulls, make for a macabre Valentine treat! I have decided to leave the skulls behind this week… and work with something a bit more synonymous with Valentine’s Day… Hearts!
A few weeks ago, I offered up some shopping ideas for Dark and Unusual Valentine Gifts. During my research, I came across a ton of cool finds relating to Anatomical Hearts. I thought I’d borrow the idea, and put together a decadent dessert… A Red Velvet Cupcake with Jet Black Icing and a Red Human Heart.
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What you’ll need :
- Anatomical Heart Molds
- 12 oz Red Melting Wafers
- Black Cake Pop Sticks
- Black Cupcake Liners
- Red Velvet Cupcakes (recipe below)
- Black Icing
Follow the directions for melting the red wafers.
Fill the heart molds to the edge
Gently tap the mold on the counter to get out any air bubbles, and to make sure the melted candy settles into all of the nooks and crannies
Allow to cool (you can place the tray in the refrigerator to speed up this process)
To add the hearts to a stick, melt a few more of the red wafers. Add a dollop onto the back of the heart, and lay the Pop Stick into the melted candy until it hardens. If you prefer to nestle the heart directly into the icing, skip this step.
Meanwhile, make the cupcakes according to the directions below.
While the cupcakes are baking, make your frosting. I almost always make a cream cheese frosting to pair with my red velvet cake… I’m throwing the rules out the window for this one, because this cupcake is all about the color (not that it doesn’t taste delicious) but I needed a black black frosting. I use a Black Gel Food Coloring that can turn any frosting into the darkest black… but it will also turn your mouth and your lips and your hands the darkest black. I want people to eat these, not wear them, so I decided to start with a store bought dark chocolate frosting so I could use less dying elements. I added two capsules of activated charcoal, and a couple squirts of the black gel food coloring. Please note.. activated charcoal may reduce the effectiveness of some medications and dietary supplements when taken at the same time.
Once the cupcakes have baked and cooled, fill frosting into a piping bag, or ziploc bag (with corner cut off) and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Start at the base and simply squeeze in a spiral motion like a soft serve ice cream cone.
Top each cupcake with a candy heart. (Note – I trimmed my cake pop sticks to achieve the desired height). If you’d prefer not to use the sticks, the hearts nicely nestle into the frosting swirl.
By the way…. I know these are perfect for all of you Anti Valentine’s Day fans…. but I happen to always have a bit of Poe on the brain…. and when February has come & gone, these Tell Tale Heart Cupcakes will be perfect for that Poe Inspired Party… or even a Halloween Party, so keep these in mind all year long!
- 2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ Unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cups vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 3½ tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- Dark Chocolate Frosting
- 2 capsules Activated Charcoal
- Black Gel Food Coloring
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
- Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugar and butter until combined.
- Scrape down sides of bowl
- Add oil and beat on high for 2 minutes
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Mix in food color and vanilla.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each.
- Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.
- Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer pans to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
- Beat Frosting, Charcoal, and Food Coloring until well mixed
- Pipe Frosting onto each cupcake
These are gorgeous!
Thank you Caroline!!!
I’m not much of a baker but these sound and look To. Die. For! Sx
Thank you Sue!!
My daughter and I actually tried to send the cupcakes to school with my grandson. THEY DON’T ALLOW HOMEMADE TREATS IN THE SCHOOLS ANYMORE! 🤨. So my husband is taking them to work on Valentine’s Day. Thank you for the fabulous idea!
I LOVE that, Chris! And I know… what happened to the good ole days of home baked treats!! My daughters school is the same way! I would’ve killed to bring these cupcakes to her school… instead I got stuck on “Gummy Heart” duty. Ugh! I hope your husband’s co-workers got a kick out of them!!
I made these this year! I had a blast making them and they look so elegant yet goth. Love them!