Contrasting Heart Cupcakes

A couple of months back I posted a picture of valentines cupcakes that I wanted to try for myself. So, with a few spare cupcakes and a bit of extra fondant to hand, I made a batch this week. These cupcakes are brilliant for valentines day, but would be perfect any time of year for those deserving loved ones...

YOU'RE GONNA NEED...

Cupcakes
Jam
Butter cream
Packet of ready to roll fondant
Red gel food colouring

Circular cutter
Small Heart shaped cutter
Grease proof paper




STEP 1

Lay down some grease proof paper to roll your fondant onto. It's really easy to peel your fondant shapes away from this, meaning no sticking to surfaces.

STEP 2

Using a skewer/knife/cocktail stick, add small globs of the red gel colouring to your fondant. Need in the colour until you have a smooth overall look.

Keep a little bit of white fondant to the side for your white hearts. 

NOTE: If you're not used to working with the gel colouring, add the colour and need in little by little... YOU CAN ADD, BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY!!!

STEP 3

Take your cupcakes and cut a small hole in the center of each one. Fill this hole with jam/chocolate spread/filling of your choice.

NOTE: You can buy a little contraption that allows you to inject the filling into the center, but this way you get more filling (plus you can keep the cut outs for cake pops!!)

STEP 4

Top your cupcakes with butter cream (I chose red to stick to the valentines theme). Make sure you don't go right to the edges, as this could mean it will show/come out at the sides when it comes to adding your fondant toppers.

Choose a circular cutter and ensure that it is big enough to go over the top of your cupcake neatly. This will mean that your circle of fondant will cover all of your cupcake without a lot of excess as the sides.

STEP 5

Roll out your fondant and cut circular toppers for your cupcakes. sit them on top of your butter cream.

Using you small heart shaped cutter, use the rest of your fondant to cut out heart shapes. Remember to cut out your white heart shapes for the center of the cupcakes.

STEP 6

Peel your small hearts away from the grease proof paper and (using water or edible glue) arrange them onto your cupcakes, starting from the outside. When I first tried these I started on the inside, beginning with the white heart. This didn't work as it meant my hearts around the edge of the cakes didn't run in a straight line and I had to think about it more. Working from the outside means that all your hearts will run in the direction they are supposed to and gives the cakes a nice finish.

At the end, your cakes should look something like this. If they don't... you did something wrong!