With Valentine’s Day this weekend, I’ve been on the hunt for a special way to enjoy the day with my guy. No matter your relationship status, it can be such a fun time to celebrate. Whether you’re having a galentine’s day with the girls or a cozy date night with your man, these sugary-sweet cupcakes will have everyone giggling with delight. Here’s a sneak peek of what I’ll be whipping up for the big day.

My mom and I found these in a cookbook called Seriously Simple Holidays a few years ago, and let me tell you they are absolutely amazing. Anytime I need to make cupcakes, I whip up a batch of these babies and everyone swoons. I use our KitchenAid Mixer (ours is medallion silver which I love, though I’m also obsessed with the copper finish one at Selfridges) to make them easily.

Eeep! You can tell my muffin pans have gotten a lot of use over the years! They still do the trick. 

While the cupcakes are cooling, you can make your frosting. If you do have a mixer, I recommend having two bowls. It’s easier than washing the bowl in-between, and plus you can just pop the bowls into the dishwasher for a quicker cleanup. I added two drops of red food coloring into the icing for a pastel pink color. It came out the palest shade of pink and was so pretty.

Once your frosting is ready, it’s time to do the icing. I’ve found the easiest way to decorate the tops of cupcakes is by scooping the frosting into plastic sandwich bags. I just snip off the end, which can vary in size depending on what I’m doing with the icing, and use that as my tip. Starting with the outside edge of the cupcake top, I used a circular motion working inward with the icing, finishing with a little swirl in the middle. Once frosted, I added a little pinch of pearlized sprinkles to give it that little something extra.

Once the cupcakes were frosted, the hardest part was waiting! I put the cupcakes on our Mariposa pearled tray {love this one here} and set out our Waterford toasting flutes we used at our wedding. My husband and I snuggled up on our love seat, accompanying our pretty cupcakes with a bottle of rose champagne from Moët & Chandon. The flowers, the bubbles, the sugar — it was a dreamy way to celebrate our sweet love. Don’t forget to add music! It makes any occasion special. We usually pick a channel from iTunes radio that suits. We played our wedding song: “How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor, melts my heart every time. No matter the celebration you make these for, you’re guaranteed a truly sweet treat. I hope this inspires your Valentine’s Day this weekend!

Sour Cream Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Icing
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons of milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line your muffin tin with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer in medium-high speed, beat the eggs and sugar together for 3-4 minutes (until light and creamy). Add the butter and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.

Fill each cup with equal amounts of the batter. Bake for about 23 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick to the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

While the cupcakes continue to cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Using the electric mixer on medium speed, beat until the mixture comes together. Add enough milk, beating on low speed, to make a creamy consistency. Frost your cupcakes (again, I love to use a Ziploc bag to apply the frosting, but you can always use a metal spatula) and add any extras — sprinkles! Serve on a pretty platter and enjoy.

A dessert fit for two! I served up the cupcakes for us on our wedding china {Vera Wang Wedgwood Platinum Lace}.