Who agrees??? These cupcakes are super simple to make! Just vanilla cupcake topped with or should I say dunked in a rich chocolate ganache! That’s it! No frosting them! Eazy Peazy! Then you can decorate them any way you please for any occasion you need them for.

How To Make Valentine’s Day Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

First, gather all your ingredients.

FOR THE VANILLA CUPCAKES:

• 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream

Next, Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl and a handled mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the egg and egg whites one at a time, and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute, then gently stir (don’t stir vigorously this adds too much air to the ganache) until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth.

Dunk the top of each cupcake into the ganache and quickly turn right-side up, cleaning and drips from the side. Allow the cupcakes to set at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. If desired, dunk the tops in ganache a second time for extra coverage and let set until dry.

Decorate with sprinkles, candies, or write cute sayings!

Tips & Tricks

• You can also use a Wilton Ready-to-Use Icing Tube Decorating with a standard coupler and tip #2 OR you can get the Wilton White Icing Pouch with Tips to write or make designs on the cupcakes.
• My favorite go-to baking book is The Sprinkles Baking Book: 100 Secret Recipes from Candace’s Kitchen.
• I love using Wilton baking pans. I feel like they are the best quality pans out there for the price. They don’t rust, are durable, and easy to clean. For muffins or cupcakes, I love using the 24 count muffin tin. It is so awesome! I love how you only need to use the oven once instead of twice with a 12 count muffin tin. My time is precious to me, as it probably is for you too, so saving time in the kitchen is key. I found all my Wilton baking essentials at my favorite store, TARGET!
• A quick tip is to use a good quality chocolate. Trust me, it will make your cookie taste that much better. My favorite go-to chocolate chips are Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips. They are seriously the best chocolate chips.
• For all-purpose flour I love using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour. I first fell in love with this brand when I started eating healthy back in 2012, shortly after our twins were born. I first tried their Steel Cut Oats. Then when I had more time to bake I started using a lot of their other products such as, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Gluten Free Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Pastry Flour, Bread Flour, and Xanthan Gum. They have so much more too! Baking mixes, Oats, Bars, Cereal, Granola, Grains, Beans, Seeds, Baking Aids, and more Flours! Seriously go check them out. Best quality baking products out there and no I am not getting paid to say this, I just love their products that much!
• Since I bake quite often I like to buy stuff in bulk. I love buying my flour, sugars, pure vanilla extract, butter, oil, eggs, and spices at Costco.
• Costco, Target, & Amazon are my favorite stores to shop at!