White Chocolate Love Heart Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

If ever there was a day for Love Heart Sweets, it’s definitely Valentines. These retro sweets have been around since I was a child; in fact production of them began in 1933 and was part of many a childhood romance. The messages on each sweet are all love related and over the years the messages have changed, I certainly don’t remember “Email me” or “Fax Me” as a child but then again most kids in the 70’s wouldn’t have had email or a fax machine!! So this week the idea came to me to find the perfect cupcake recipe and adorn each cupcake with a love heart and it wasn’t long before I came across this simply amazing recipe. These cupcakes have a lush white chocolate, milky, sweet flavour and the sponge is moist and fluffy. The cupcakes are then topped with this unbelievably delicious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, that you will love! Each cupcake is then topped with a love heart, which was my favourite part.

White Chocolate Love Heart Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 18 Cupcakes

White Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

2 large eggs

4-oz white chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plus 1 tbsp milk (low fat is fine)

Preheat oven to 160oC/fan 140oC/325F. Line muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped white chocolate by heating it in 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval and cook only until the chocolate is smooth when stirred.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by melted white chocolate and vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, alternate adding in some of the milk and some of the flour mixture, ending with a final addition of flour. Mix until just incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.Bake at 325F for 20-23 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.Cool on a wire rack.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

4-oz cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup butter, room temperature

1-oz white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp milk or cream

2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar

18 Love Heart Sweets

In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter and melted white chocolate. Beat in vanilla and milk, then add in the confectioners’ sugar gradually until the frosting reaches your desired consistency (make it a bit stiffer if you wish to pipe it onto the cupcakes instead of spreading it with a knife).Spread frosting onto cupcakes with a knife, or transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a Love Heart Sweet.