White cake mix - + ingredients required to make that mix.
¼tsppink gel food coloring
For the buttercream:
½cupsoftened unsalted butter
2cupsconfectioners’ sugar
1tbspmilk
For the decorations:
12small pretzel sticks
½cuppink candy melts
4-5oz.red rolling fondant
Instructions
Mix cake batter according to box’s directions. Add gel food coloring and mix until batter is completely tinted.
Scoop into a muffin tin, lined with paper liners and bake according to the package’s directions.
Allow to cool completely before baking.
While the cupcakes cool, prepare the buttercream: in a large bowl, beat together butter, confectioners’ sugar and milk with an electric mixer. Start on low and gradually increase to high.
Once the ingredients are well-combined and form semi-stiff peaks, scoop into a piping bag with Wilton tip #21 attached.
Frost each cupcake.
Line a pan with wax paper. Knead rolling fondant until smooth.
Roll 24 fondant spheres, about one inch in size each.
To create a heart, press the bottom two fondant spheres together, pointing it at the end. Repeat to create 12 fondant hearts and set aside on half of the wax-paper-lined pan.
Line up 12 pretzel sticks on lined pan. In a small bowl, microwave pink candy melts in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval.
Pour melted candy into a piping bag and cut out a small tip at the end.
Frost out 2 V-shapes on each pretzel stick. Allow to set, about 20 minutes.
Insert one pretzel stick into each cupcake, followed by the fondant heart.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This Recipe Can be Doubled: Simply increase the ingredients proportionately and split it into two cupcake trays before baking.
Add Chocolate: Milk, White or Dark Chocolate chips can be added to the cake for more flavor.
Variation tip: White chocolate melts can be used and colored with the food coloring gel.
Temperature: Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before you ice them.
Toppers: Finish off your cupcakes with these adorable toppers.