Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching us, and what better way to show someone you care about them than baking them some sweet treats? If you’re looking for a brand new recipe to wow your valentine, look no further! Here’s a step by step guide to help you make some delicious vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting using Beeman Honeystix honey sticks as the star ingredient.
Honey cupcakes are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat
We all know Valentine’s Day is the holiday where we show our loved ones our appreciation for them. Well, nothing says “I love you” quite like taking time out of your busy day to make fresh delicious cupcakes from scratch. What’s even better is that cupcakes are the perfect gift for almost anyone you want to give an extra thanks to. After all, Valentine’s isn’t just for significant others- it’s for everyone in your life that you love! So, whether it’s your children, parents, siblings, or friends, a batch of these honey cupcakes will surely show them just how much you care.
Ingredients for the cupcakes
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ Cup of sugar
- ½ Cup of room temperature unsalted butter
- ½ Cup of buttermilk
- ¼ Cup of honey (You can use honey sticks for tea)
- 1 Teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ Teaspoon of salt
Ingredients for the icing
- 3 Cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 4 Ounces of softened cream cheese
- ¾ Cup of room temperature unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons of honey (You can use honey sticks for tea)
- Optional: Valentine’s themed sprinkles
- Optional: Red food coloring
Instructions to make the cupcakes
Begin by making sure your oven is preheating to 350 degrees. Place the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk them together. Once these dry ingredients are evenly combined, set the bowl aside. In a separate bowl, combine all your wet ingredients- the buttermilk, honey from the honey sticks, and vanilla extract. Again, once these ingredients are combined, set the bowl aside. In a third bowl, beat together your butter and sugar. A standing mixer with a paddle attachment set to medium speed will work best for this step, but a hand mixer or just a hand held whisk will work as well. Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mixture one at a time, making sure the egg is fully incorporated before adding another. Repeat this process with alternating additions of your dry and wet ingredients. That is, add in a small amount of the dry ingredients to the sugar, butter, and eggs, wait until it’s fully incorporated, then do the same with a small portion of the wet ingredients. Switch between adding in more dry and wet ingredients until everything is fully mixed. Finally, your cupcakes are ready to go in the oven. Line your muffin tins and fill each slot ⅔ of the way with the cupcake mixture. Put your cupcakes in the oven and allow them to bake between 15-20 minutes. To check if they’re done, insert and remove a toothpick into one of the cupcakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, they’re ready to be removed from the oven. Allow them to fully cool before frosting.
Instructions to make the frosting
Using a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until evenly combined. Slowly, add in the confectioners’ sugar while the paddle attachment continues to mix. At this point, the mixture should have a good frosting-like consistency. Lastly, mix in the honey. If you wish to add in another flavor component, you can use flavored honey sticks for this step. Additionally, if you want true Valentine’s themed cupcakes, add a couple drops of red food coloring to the mixture to create a pink frosting. To finish your dessert, frost your cupcakes as desired and top off with decorative sprinkles.