Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 60ml liquid red food coloring eg Pillarbox red
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour-sifted 2-3 times with cocoa below
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Icing:
• 30g butter, softened
• 60g cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tube of Wilton red food gel (yes I’m serious, otherwise it just won’t be red enough)
• 11/2 cups (240g) icing sugar mixture
• To decorate: 1 dozen apple stems

Directions

1. Cupcakes:

2. Cream butter; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add food colouring.

3. Add salt, flour and cocoa and vanilla alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

4. Line cupcake trays with liners and fill with batter. These do not have a raising agent in them so fill them fuller than you would usually, without overfilling. Bake in for 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. When throughly cool, remove from bases and slice in half and fill with frosting and then ice top with cream cheese frosting using star tipped nozzle and piping bag (recipe below) and add heart shaped motif (or not).

5. Icing:

6. Cream butter; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add food colouring.

7. Add salt, flour and cocoa and vanilla alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

8. Line cupcake trays with liners and fill with batter. These do not have a raising agent in them so fill them fuller than you would usually, without overfilling. Bake in for 15-20 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius. When throughly cool, remove from bases and slice in half and fill with frosting and then ice top with cream cheese frosting using star tipped nozzle and piping bag (recipe below) and add heart shaped motif (or not).

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