xoxo. [mini vanilla marble heart cakes w. vanilla glaze]

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Today is one of the few days when consuming excessive amounts of chocolate and candy is deemed appropriate—from chocolate covered strawberries to boxes of assorted chocolates to candy hearts. The list of guilty pleasures goes on. However, since I’m always baking, I consider it acceptable to eat desserts every day, especially since I have a terrible sweet tooth.

In spirit of the holiday, I made mini vanilla heart cakes, using a simple butter cake recipe from Betty Crocker. I decided to spruce them up with a red marble design, decorative sprinkles and gel. The cakes didn’t turn out as moist as I’d hoped, but at least they looked cute!

Recipe:

1 3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup margarine, softened

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 3/4 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cupcake tin with butter, covering bottom and all sides of tin.

Mix sugar, margarine, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat on high speed, scraping down bowl occasionally. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk on low speed. Pour into cupcake tins, about 1/4 full, as the cakes will rise.

Place one drop of red food coloring into each tin. Using a tooth pick, swirl the food coloring around until create marble appearance.

Bake until cakes pop back at the touch of a finger, about 7 to 8 minutes for mini cakes.