Ingredients
Frosting:
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 drops red food coloring
Cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup hot water
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Decorative Valentine’s Day candy
Honey Tips
How Honey Is Created
Honey is created when bees mix plant nectar, a sweet substance secreted by flowers, with their own bee enzymes.
Directions
Frosting:
Cook flour and milk in a saucepan over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely.
While mixture is cooling, in a separate bowl beat sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring until light, pink, and fluffy. Gradually add cooled flour mixture and beat until frosting is a good spreading consistency.
Cupcakes:
Heat oven to 350°. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking power; set aside. In a small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.
In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and cocoa mixture, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Spread frosting evenly, top with Valentine’s Day candy.
Yields: 24 cupcakes
Cook flour and milk in a saucepan over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely.
While mixture is cooling, in a separate bowl beat sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring until light, pink, and fluffy. Gradually add cooled flour mixture and beat until frosting is a good spreading consistency.
Cupcakes:
Heat oven to 350°. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, and baking power; set aside. In a small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.
In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and cocoa mixture, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Spread frosting evenly, top with Valentine’s Day candy.
Yields: 24 cupcakes
