Love conquers all.
Romantic love, enduring love, platonic love, fleeting love, for-the-love-of-the-game love, familial love, unconditional love, tested love… but especially food love.
Romantic love is wonderful and worth celebrating, but without food love –that is, a fervent passion for the edible world– even romance seems a little less deep. Think about it: what’s romance without food? People bond over food. First dates and lunch dates and leave-the-kids-at-home dates. Familial love, too, is built on a foundation of culinary tradition. If not for food love, what would we all be doing on Thanksgiving? Or at birthdays devoid of that perfectly imperfect homemade cake? (Okay, that’s a really sad, depressing thought…)
Food is fuel, sure. But it’s also the most intimate relationship we have (and no, I’m not talking about making it to third base with your favorite waffle-cut fries). There’s a pearl of truth in the phrase, “you are what you eat,” and it has to do with the fact that, at some level, our relationships with food dictate our relationships with people– and by extension, our happiness.
This Valentine’s Day, nurture your food love and the rest will follow. Go all the way with these strawberry-infused pink velvet cupcakes topped with pink marshmallow buttercream, freeze-dried strawberries, and mini vanilla glazed doughnuts– what’s not to love?
Don’t have a mini doughnut pan? Order one on Amazon! | $7
*The pink velvet base is adapted from Love From The Oven‘s gorgeous Pink Ribbon Pink Velvet Cupcakes. Christi’s recipes are always amazing; be sure to check out her blog!
Valentine’s Day Doughnut Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Several drops pink food coloring
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, diced
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 (13 oz) jar Marshmallow Fluff
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese
- Several drops pink food coloring
- 2/3 cup Freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 large eggs
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sprinkles of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with desired cupcake liners
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each
- Add vanilla extract and mix
- In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together four, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- Add roughly half the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix
- Add buttermilk and mix
- Add remaining dry ingredients and several drops food coloring, mix well
- Fold in diced strawberries with a wooden spoon
- Spoon batter into muffin pan until each well is about 2/3 full
- Bake for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean
- Remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes
- Beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (the fluff is too sticky and will get stuck if you use the whisk attachment)
- Add fluff, powdered sugar, vanilla, and pink food coloring and beat until smooth
- Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes
- Place freeze-dried strawberries in a ziplock bag, seal, and firmly crush berries into a powder with a rolling pin
- Remove strawberries from bag and sprinkle judiciously over cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
- Spray a mini doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
- Add butter, eggs, nutmeg, and cinnamon, beat with a whisk until smooth
- Fill doughnut pan 2/3 full
- Bake for 8 minutes
- All doughnuts to cool in pan for 5 minutes
- Remove doughnuts from pan and allow to cool for another 15 minutes
- Once doughnuts are cool, mix together powdered sugar, hot water, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl with a whisk
- Dip tops of doughnuts in glaze, sprinkle with desired topping, and allow icing to harden
- Once icing has hardened, place doughnuts on top of cupcakes
*Need some bubbly to go with those strawberries? Try these Prosecco Cupcakes!
steve says
Nice article so true food is the way to everyone’s heart.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you, and indeed 🙂
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
Oh I saw these on Pinterest. So amazing!!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks so much, Julianne! I had so much fun creating and styling them!
Kathi says
What a beautiful cupcake. Great!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you, Kathi!
Mara @ Elemental Custard says
I saw these on foodgawker and just had to tell you how gorgeous that photo is! Love the colours.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you, Mara! It took a lot of working and reworking to get a few photos I was satisfied with, but it was worth it for the finished product!
Melanie @ Carmel Moments says
These are stunning! So beautiful yet I’m sure they’re delicious too!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you!! And yes, they definitely satisfy a sweet tooth or two 🙂 I usually have to give 95% of my baked goods away to friends and family after I make them, because I’m pretty sure I’d polish them ALL off if given the chance!
dina says
they’re so pretty!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you!
Tasha @thatssoyummy says
These are so pretty!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, Tasha!
Erika says
These are so so pretty!!! I’m in awe of your food styling. Sadly, I’m not sure if my bf would be the best one to appreciate the utter GENIUS of these beautiful cupcakes, but I still might give these a go for V-day 🙂
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Erika! If you’re not sure your boyfriend would go for these, you might want to try these beer batter cupcakes topped with maple buttercream and bacon instead– they’re about as guy-friendly as cupcakes get!: http://www.kailleyskitchen.com/2013/05/02/beer-batter-cupcakes-with-maple-buttercream-and-praline-bacon/ 🙂
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Oh my gosh! You have outdone yourself! These are so beautiful! And the mini doughnut on top is just too cute! Why don’t I have a mini doughnut pan!?! Need! Want!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Lindsey! I got my mini doughnut pan on Amazon– it was pretty inexpensive! I’m anticipating I’ll be getting a LOT of use out of it =) You should definitely snag one!
simi says
pretty cupcake!! Did you make the flower on top? or is that something you can get to put on the cupcake?
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you! And no, I didn’t not make the flower on top. I’m sure you could fashion a very similar one out of pink-colored fondant, though! I’ve built a sizable collection of props to use for photos– these dried flower pods are one of them.
Betsy | JavaCupcake.com says
These cupcakes and your photos are absolutely stunning!!! Gorgeous!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks so much, Betsy!
Sim says
They are so pretty! How do you get the flower on top? can you buy them? or create them?
Jen says
I LOVE this! Your picture is beautiful!!! My girls want me to make these for their class… Mine won’t be as pretty but thanks for the inspiration!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, Jen! I hope you and your girls enjoy them!!
Betsy Ellenberger says
I LOVE your photographs! — and the cupcake looks sinfully delicious.
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you! And they are absolutely sinfully delicious– I have to pawn them off on whoever I can ASAP to save myself to eating them all!
Happiness in a Single Bite! says
Absolutely lovely!! 😉
Christi @ Love From The Oven says
These cupcakes are stunning, absolutely positively gorgeous!
And thank you for the sweet words! XOXO
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Christi! Thank you for creating such a wonderful pink velvet recipe!!
Gintare @Gourmantine says
Your cupcakes are a work of art. Seriously, I think they’re too pretty to eat and photos are absolutely fabulous!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Aww, thank you, Gina! It’s taken me a while, but I think I’m finally getting this whole cupcake decorating thing down 🙂 My next mission is to hone my regular cake decorating skills (which, at this point, are virtually non-existent)– so much tougher!!
blair {at} the fox and she says
I’m not much a dessert person, but holy cow these are absolutely gorgeous! you need to be a wedding cupcake decorator/baker! 😉
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Haha thank you! Once I get an apartment with a double-oven setup (okay, or even just apartment that’s more than the 500 sq. ft. space I’m in now), I definitely think I’d like to start doing large orders for weddings/events!
Margo says
I just love your blog and I admire your talent! Amazing recipes and beautiful photos!!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Aww, thank you so much, Margo! I really, really appreciate that, and I’m thrilled that you enjoy my recipes!
Catherine says
Just saw these featured on Tried & Tasty. Beautiful post and beautiful dessert! What a sight..pinning this for later. xo, Catherine
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you, Catherine!!!