Honey I’m Home Chocolate Cupcakes

A Valentines's Day treat topped with sweet pink honey frosting.

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

Honey Never Spoils

No need to refrigerate it. It can be stored unopened, indefinitely, at room temperature in a dry cupboard.

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