Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, and these Cupid’s Arrow Cupcakes are the best way to show someone you care.
These vanilla cupcakes are soft and fluffy, and they are covered with lovely pink buttercream and garnished with sugar hearts and pretzel sticks that look like arrows.
They’re easy to create, safe for kids, and great for school parties, romantic nights, or just because.
Bonus: They appear a lot more expensive than they really are to make.
You can do this, I promise!
Let’s make some love in the kitchen. ❤️
Things You Will Need
- Bowls for mixing
- A hand mixer or a stand mixer
- Whisk
- Spoons and cups for measuring
- Muffin tin
- Liners for cupcakes
- A piping bag with a star tip or a zip-top bag
What You’ll Need: Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups of flour for all purposes
- 1½ tsp of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Softened ½ cup of unsalted butter
- One cup of sugar that has been granulated
- Two big eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of whole milk
For the frosting with buttercream
- 1 cup of soft, unsalted butter
- Four cups of sugar in powder form
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Food coloring in pink gel
For decoration
- Cut up pretzel sticks into small pieces.
- Candy hearts or gummies that look like hearts
- Optional sprinkles (but they are fun!)
How to Make Cupcakes with Cupid’s Arrow
- Get the oven ready and hot
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) before you start cooking. Put cupcake liners in a muffin tray. - Make the batter.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together using a whisk. Mix the butter and sugar together in a different bowl until they are light and creamy. Then add the eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing in some milk each time, until the batter is smooth. - Cook
Put the batter in the cupcake liners equally (approximately ⅔ full). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let them cool down all the way. - Make the frosting.
In a big basin, whip the butter until it is smooth. Add the powdered sugar slowly, then mix in the vanilla and heavy cream. Add one drop of pink gel food coloring at a time until you get the color you want. - Frost the cupcakes.
Use a piping bag with a star tip to make swirls of frosting on each cupcake. - Add some decorations
Cut the pretzel sticks into small pieces. Put a candy heart on each end of the pretzel. If you need to, use a little frosting to hold them together. Push the “arrow” of the pretzel through the cupcake. If you like, you can add sparkles!
Tips for making perfect Cupid’s Arrow Cupcakes
- Let the butter, eggs, and milk rest out for 30 minutes before you start. This is very important. This helps everything combine together better.
- Don’t stir the batter too much; stop mixing as soon as the flour is gone. If you mix too much, the cupcakes will be heavy.
- Frosting Tip: Use a piping bag with a star tip to make a beautiful swirl! A zip-top bag with the corner cut off can work as well if you don’t have one.
- Get Ready for Arrows Ahead Before you decorate, break the pretzel sticks and add the candy hearts. Kids LOVE to help with this part!
- Chill for a Few Minutes—After icing, put the cupcakes in the fridge for 10 minutes to let the buttercream firm before you add the embellishments.
Tips for Getting Ready Ahead of Time
- The day before the party, bake the cupcakes and put them in an airtight container without frosting. Frost and decorate them the day you want to serve them.
- You may make buttercream ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. Before you use it, let it soften and whip it again.
Changes and Substitutions
- No pink food coloring? You may naturally tint your icing with raspberry or strawberry puree.
- No gluten? Change the all-purpose flour to your preferred gluten-free mix.
- No dairy? Use butter and milk substitutes made from plants.
- Do you love chocolate? For chocolate cupcakes, mix in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
Storing and Using Leftovers
You can keep cupcakes at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to five days. Before serving, let them cool down to room temperature.
To finish up
These Cupid’s Arrow Cupcakes will definitely make anyone’s heart skip a beat!
They’re adorable, tasty, and a lot of work.
I’d love to hear how they went for you!
Please leave a comment with your ideas or questions. Happy baking, Valentine! 💘