Our cupcake contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., shares a Valentine’s recipe that is sure to make you swoon…
February brings sugar, romance, and the season’s favorite pinks and reds. When it comes to desserts, Red Velvet immediately comes to mind, closely followed by chocolate. With Valentine’s Day approaching, a batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes topped with a rich White Chocolate Icing is a perfect way to show someone you care. While cream cheese frosting is the classic pairing for red velvet, white chocolate icing complements the cake beautifully and creates an extra sweet, elegant treat.
If you follow current cake-decorating trends, you’ve likely seen the popular ombre technique. After admiring ombre cakes for months, Lauren decided Valentine’s season was the ideal time to pull out pink and red food coloring and try gradient piping on these Ombre Ruffle Cupcakes.
Although the range of pinks and reds may look intimidating, the decorating method is simple. It just requires a few extra bowls and spatulas to mix icing shades. That little extra mess is well worth the payoff—these cupcakes are charming and playful.
The ruffled, frilly finish evokes lace and doilies. To recreate this look you’ll need four Wilton #104 piping tips (or the same tip used sequentially), piping bags, and shades of pink and red food coloring, available at most craft stores. Mixing the icing shades takes more time than the piping itself—once your bags are ready, squeeze and let the tip do the work.
Pipe horizontal rows across the cupcake to create ruffles that transition from light to dark. Alternatively, pipe in concentric circles from the outside in to form a layered ruffled flower.
Red Velvet with White Chocolate Cupcakes
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 24 cupcakes)
For the cake:
3 cups cake flour
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
2 Tbsp red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and vegetable oil and beat until blended.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla, vinegar, and red food coloring until evenly combined.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter.
- Bake 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cooled, frost with the White Chocolate icing described below.
For the icing:
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz good-quality white chocolate, melted (Lindt or similar)
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 Tbsp heavy cream
- In the stand mixer bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing reaches your desired consistency for piping.
To decorate:
Wilton Pink Coloring
Wilton No-Taste Red Coloring
Wilton Tip 104 (or equivalent ruffle tip)
Piping bags
- Divide the icing into four equal portions (about 1 1/2 cups each).
- Tint three portions with Wilton Pink coloring to make pale, medium, and darker pink shades.
- Tint the fourth portion with Wilton No-Taste Red coloring to achieve a vibrant red.
- Fill piping bags fitted with tip 104 for each color.
- To create ruffles: Start with the lightest pink. Hold the piping bag so the narrow edge of the tip faces you and pipe a gentle back-and-forth motion across the bottom of the cupcake to form a ruffle. Make two rows with the lightest pink, then repeat with the medium pink, dark pink, and finally the red until the cupcake is fully covered.
- To create a ruffled flower: Begin at the outer edge with the lightest pink, holding the tip so the narrow edge faces outward. Pipe in a ruffle pattern while turning the cupcake base to form a circular row. Continue inward with medium pink, then dark pink, and finish with red to form inner ruffled circles.
Enjoy these delightful Red Velvet and White Chocolate cupcakes, and have fun decorating with ombre ruffles! XOXO