Happy Valentine’s Day from hollicakes!

One of the most popular desserts on this romantic day are chocolate cover strawberries. Two of my favorite things. So I combined them into one fabulous cupcake!

First we’ll start with the easiest, almost-foolproof chocolate cupcakes ever!

Easy Chocolate Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin trays with paper liners. (I made 1 dozen regular cupcakes & 2 dozen minis with this recipe)
2. Mix all ingredients together using a stand mixer, or just simply by hand.
3. Distribute evenly into liners, filling about 2/3 full (they rise quite a bit). Bake for 20-24 minutes, or when tops spring back when touched.
4. Cool cupcakes, then frost!

The main ingredients.




All mixed up. I gave my mixer the day off and mixed this by hand!!




Cooling by the window. I always wonder if people walking by outside can smell them =]




Beautiful strawberries!





I used half of them for the frosting and the other half for decoration!

So I didn’t love this Strawberry Buttercream recipe as much as I thought I would. But it was still pretty good! Thick almost like ice cream. I think next time I’ll try for a Strawberry Swiss Meringue variation.

Strawberry Buttercream

4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces strawberries, pureed
2-5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until fluffy. Turn down speed and slowly add in powdered sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
2. Add vanilla, pureed strawberries and cream/milk. Once combined, beat on high speed until frosting is fluffy. Frost away! Garnish with a chocolate-dipped-strawberry.





I also made red velvet cake balls, and dipped some cute little strawberry heart marshmallows in chocolate as well. Anything sweet dipped in chocolate is always better. =] Then combined all the elements in my hollicakes Valentine’s boxes!

See!





Find the recipe for these yummy cake balls at one of my favorite sites, Bakerella!




Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine’s Day!

<3hollicakes