Valentine's Day Cupcakes

Valentine's Day cupcakes are moist chocolate cupcakes filled with melted guava paste (or strawberry jam) and topped with cream cheese frosting. They are perfect for parties or edible gifts!

Valentine's Day is almost here! Who is going to be your Valentine? Mine are my hubby and children... who are crazy for cupcakes.

Since such a special occasion deserves an exquisite treat, then a decadent and romantic Romeo and Juliet dessert is what we will be having for this year. 

Our easy and cute Valentine's Day cupcakes, also known as cheese and guava cupcakes, are named after Romeo and Juliet though. Why?

In Brazil, Romeo & Juliet (Romeo e Julieta) means more than just characters from Shakespeare’s drama. It is also a term to describe the perfect combination of cheese and guava.

For us, like the characters in the play, they were made for each other, although, unlike the classic love story, this ending is quite a happy one.

In my home country, cheese and guava are as popular a pairing as peanut butter and jelly in the U.S. Got it?!

If you have a WHO valentine, award him/her with this scrumptious treat. If you don't, you still can have a WHAT Valentine....these Valentine's Day cupcakes will be love at first bite! 

“DID MY HEART LOVE TILL NOW? FORSWEAR IT, SIGHT! FOR I NE'ER SAW TRUE BEAUTY TILL THIS NIGHT.”
(WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, ROMEO AND JULIET)

How to Make Valentine's Day Cupcakes

• Prepare the Valentine's Day cupcake batter: Follow the instructions for the batter only in these chocolate fudge cupcakes, or prepare the batter following the instructions in the package of a chocolate cake mix.

• Prepare the cream cheese frosting: Place room temperature cream cheese and butter in a standing mixer bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. Beat in powdered sugar on slow speed until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract beating until incorporated (about 30 seconds).

• To prepare the guava paste swirl: Place the chopped guava paste, water, and Port wine (optional) in a small nonstick saucepan. Let boil for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat or until the guava paste chunks have softened.

• Then, mash the guava paste chunks with a potato masher or fork until the chunks melt.
• Next, stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is almost smooth although tiny chunks will remain (Great! Because when piped one can taste the guava paste). However, if you prefer the mixture to be completely smooth, blend in a blender until no pieces are found. Pour into a ramekin or small bowl and let it come to room temperature.

• Fill in the cupcakes: If you would like to fill the Romeo and Juliet cupcakes with guava paste "jelly," open a medium hole (starting from the top to the middle -- don't go all the way to the bottom) in the center of each cupcake and fill/pipe in a good amount of the frosting or "jelly."
• Frost and decorate: Using a closed star tip or other tip of your preference, pipe the swirled frosting on top of the cupcakes. To produce swirling of the frosting, spoon the cream cheese frosting into one side of the piping bag and the guava jelly paste into the other side. Refrigerate the cupcakes! Decorate your Valentine's Day cupcakes as desired. Enjoy!

NOTE: GUAVA PASTE SUBSTITUTION -- Use a store-bought strawberry or raspberry jam instead, thinned with a bit of water.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make these V-Day cupcakes, you'll need: 

Valentine's Day Cupcake Batter

• Chocolate cake mix of your choice (or a Homemade chocolate cupcake recipe of your choice)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 16 ounces unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature ( or 4 sticks) 
• 5 cups powdered sugar to taste
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Guava Paste Jelly (or Strawberry Jelly)

• 16 oz guava paste, cut into chunks (guava paste is available at Latin markets and also in the Latin aisle of some Walmart supermarkets). NOTE: OR use a strawberry or raspberry jelly thinned with a little bit of water. Do not mix in the wine!
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Port wine, optional

NOTE: If you would like to fill cupcakes with guava paste jelly, increase the ingredients described above for the guava paste "jelly" recipe by ¼ to ½.

Tips for Making Happy Valentine's Day Cupcakes

• Batter: Make sure to choose a chocolate cake mix of your liking. It can be either a dark or milk chocolate cake mix and follow the instructions in the package. 
• Frosting: Both the cream cheese and butter must be at room temperature; otherwise, they won't be combined easily.  
• Filling: If you don't want to use guava paste, replace it with a raspberry or strawberry jam and thin it with just a little bit of water. 
• Refrigerate the frosted cupcakes so the frosting can firm up. 
• Decorate them with mini heart sprinkles and as desired.  
• Size: I made standard-size cupcakes but you may make mini cupcakes instead. 
• Flavors: I made chocolate cupcakes but red velvet or vanilla cupcakes will work well too!
• Shape ideas: You may make yours heart-shaped instead!

FAQs

How to Store

• ROOM TEMPERATURE: Place unfrosted cupcakes on a baking sheet, wrap the whole sheet with plastic wrap, and keep them at room temp for up to 2 days. 
• FRIDGE: Store Valentine's Day cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.  
• FREEZER: You may make the cupcakes ahead and freeze them in a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months, without filling and frosting them. Then. thaw them at room temperature and then fill and frost them.

Other Cupcake Recipes

• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
• Passion Fruit Cupcakes
• Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
• Brazilian Carrot Cupcakes
• Frozen Cupcakes

Other Valentine's Day Desserts

• Valentine's brownies
• Red wine tapioca pudding
• Shortbread cookies
• Keto shortbread cookies
• Strawberry pound cake
• Strawberry brigadeiros

PIN AND ENJOY!

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5 from 18 votes

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

Valentine's Day cupcakes are moist chocolate cupcakes filled with melted guava paste (or strawberry jam) and topped with cream cheese frosting. They are perfect for parties or edible gifts!

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Brazilian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 58 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Calories486.8 kcal

Author Valentina Dimitrova

Cost $ 0.50 per person

Equipment

• 1 standard muffin tin
• 1 oven
• 1 Pipping bag
• 1 star tip
• 1 saucepan
• 1 mixer

Ingredients

Valentine's Day cupcake batter:

• 13.25 ounces box of chocolate cake mix or a Homemade chocolate cupcake recipe of your choice

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 32 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (4 packs)
• 16 ounces unsalted butter cut into chunks, at room temperature ( or 4 sticks)
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Guava Paste Jelly (or Strawberry Jelly):

• 16 oz guava paste cut into chunks (guava paste is available at Latin markets and also in the Latin aisle of some Walmart supermarkets). NOTE: OR use a strawberry or raspberry jam thinned with a little bit of water. Do not mix in the wine!
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Port wine optional. NOTE: If you would like to fill cupcakes with guava paste jelly, increase the ingredients described above for the guava paste "jelly" recipe by ¼ to ½.

Instructions

• Prepare the Valentine's Day cupcake batter: Follow the instructions for the batter only in these brigadeiro cupcakes, or prepare the batter following the instructions in the package of a chocolate cake mix.
• Prepare the cream cheese frosting: Place room temperature cream cheese and butter in a standing mixer bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined. Beat in powdered sugar on slow speed until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract beating until incorporated (about 30 seconds).
• To prepare the guava paste swirl: Place the chopped guava paste, water, and Port wine (optional) in a small nonstick saucepan. Let boil for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat or until the guava paste chunks have softened.
• Then, mash the guava paste chunks with a potato masher or fork until the chunks melt.
• Next, stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is almost smooth although tiny chunks will remain (Great! Because when piped one can taste the guava paste). However, if you prefer the mixture to be completely smooth, blend in a blender until no pieces are found. Pour into a ramekin or small bowl and let it come to room temperature.
• Fill in the cupcakes: If you would like to fill the Romeo and Juliet cupcakes with guava paste "jelly," open a medium hole (starting from the top to the middle -- don't go all the way to the bottom) in the center of each cupcake and fill/pipe in a good amount of the frosting or "jelly."
• Frost and decorate: Using a closed star tip or other tip of your preference, pipe the swirled frosting on top of the cupcakes. To produce swirling of the frosting, spoon the cream cheese frosting into one side of the piping bag and the guava jelly paste into the other side. Refrigerate the cupcakes! Decorate your Valentine's Day cupcakes as desired. Enjoy!
• NOTE: GUAVA PASTE SUBSTITUTION -- Use a store-bought strawberry or raspberry jam instead, thinned with a bit of water.

Recipe Notes

GUAVA PASTE SUBSTITUTIONS: Use a store-bought strawberry or raspberry jelly instead, thinned with a bit of water.

How to Store

• ROOM TEMPERATURE: Place unfrosted cupcakes on a baking sheet, wrap the whole sheet with plastic wrap, and keep them at room temp for up to 2 days. 
• FRIDGE: Store Valentine's Day cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.  
• FREEZER: You may make the cupcakes ahead and freeze them in a freezer-friendly bag for up to 3 months, without filling and frosting them. Then. thaw them at room temperature and then fill and frost them.

Nutrition

Calories: 486.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.6g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 30.8g | Saturated Fat: 17.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.3g | Trans Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 78.8mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 122.3mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 41.1g | Vitamin A: 980.4IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 68.8mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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This post was first published on February 3, 2015.