Red velvet and cream cheese are a classic pairing, and these cupcakes add a romantic twist with love heart sweets added on top of each one. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, they combine a rich, moist sponge with smooth, tangy frosting that’s really indulgent without being overly sweet.
The sponge is light, thanks to the buttermilk, and the xanthan gum helps hold everything together perfectly – you wouldn’t know these were gluten-free at all. The white wine vinegar might seem odd, but it reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to help the cupcakes rise really well and keep their tender crumb.
I find the cream cheese frosting particularly satisfying to make. When you watch the butter and cream cheese come together, then gradually transform as you add the icing sugar, it’s quite therapeutic. The key is having both the butter and cream cheese at room temperature – this helps avoid any little lumps in your frosting.
The vibrant red colour makes these cupcakes instantly eye-catching (top tip: wear an apron – red food colouring is really bad for staining). They’re just right for Valentine’s Day, whether you’re baking them for someone special or simply fancy treating yourself and friends to something a lovely.
While they’re not complicated to make, getting the right texture takes a bit of care. The most important thing is not to overmix the batter once you add the flour – this keeps the sponge light rather than heavy. And make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before you start frosting them, or you’ll end up with a melted mess. Not very romantic.
Red Velvet Love Heart Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200g gluten-free plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 200g caster sugar
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 250ml buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 165g cream cheese, softened
- 84g unsalted butter, softened
- 352g icing sugar, sifted
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 Love Heart sweets, for decoration
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (325°F). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and vegetable oil until well combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the buttermilk, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and white wine vinegar until the mixture is smooth and uniform in color.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full (approximately 1/4 cup per liner).
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (about 20-30 minutes).
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated.
- Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe the cream cheese frosting onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- Top each cupcake with a Love Heart sweet.
