CandyCenter CreamCheese Cupcakes

Valentines is almost here 🙂 And I don’t know about you but as a Foodie, my first thought is not teddy bears, flowers, or little heart candies with love messages on them…. my first thought would have to be……. Desserts, Cakes, Cupcakes and other Sweet Treats.

Believe me, my Valentine (hubby) is much happier with Valentines Cupcakes then Flowers haha.

But what can be better than a cupcake?

A Rich, Delicious, Moist Cream cheese Cupcake with a Candybar Melted in the Middle…..

***please wipe the drool from your chin and I’ll tell you how to make them ;)***

The CreamCheese is not a huge element in these cupcakes but it makes them extremely moist!

What you need:

For the Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix (eggs , oil and water, or whatever else you need to make your box cake mix)
4 oz cream cheese, soft almost melted
4 tablespoons of powdered sugar
Mini-Candybars like Milky ways, 3 Musketeers and Snickers, or whole candy bars cut into 1-inch blocks

For the Butter Cream Icing:

(Covers 12 cupcakes, you can double or triple it depending on how many cupcakes you’re making)

1 cups shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 ounces heavy cream

Cupcakes:

In a medium bowl mix soft cream cheese and 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar until it forms a paste.

Mix cupcake batter according to box directions in a large bowl.

Once everything is mixed well add your cream cheese mixture and mix very well until everything is combined.

Line your cupcake tin with paper liners and fill your cupcake wells about 2/3 full of batter.

Cook at 350F for about 20 minutes or until they slightly brown on top and are cooked throughout.

Remove from the oven and let rest 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cupcakes are cool, use a paring knife to cut a well into the center of each cupcake, don’t forget to save the tops of the cupcakes that you cut out.

Up wrap your mini candy bars and place one in each cupcake.

Place Cupcakes with chocolate bar showing in the middle of the cupcakes into the microwave for 45 seconds. Use a toothpick and make sure the chocolate is melted.

Once the chocolate is melted, replace the the cupcake tops to complete the cupcake.

Let them cool again and its time to do the icing.

Here is how to make your Icing:

Cream the Shortening with an electric mixer until is is fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, mixing well. Add salt, vanilla, and heavy cream and blend until everything is combined.

Now blend on high until frosting is light and fluffy. It took just a few minutes for me.

To decorate:

I used a 1M tip in a piping bag to make the rose effect on the cupcakes.

Fill your Piping Bag with tip with your butter cream Icing.

Start in the center of your cupcake. Start piping your icing and then slowly move your tip in a circle around the center point of the cupcake. Just Keep going around the cupcake until the whole top is covered.

I then added some red lip sprinkles for valentines day but you don’t have to do that 😉

Don’t forget to check out your awesome candybar centers!

Now Enjoy your amazing CandyCenter CreamCheese Cupcakes or share them with your valentine…. or keep them for yourself 😉 which ever works best for you lol. ENJOY!