I have previously shared a recipe which was supposed to be my Valentine post but after seeing all these red and white motif goodies on Pinterest, I got all inspired again to make something to share with you all. Heart-shaped mini cakes with fresh raspberries drizzled with melted white chocolate. The recipe was adapted from The Artful Cupcake cookbook and the cupcakes were designed by Chris Kobler. These raspberry cupcakes are so pretty that you would have second thoughts biting into them. But you must! Because these are delicious, light and with just the right amount of sweetness to them.  You might ask whether a ready-mix store bought cupcake packet can be used. Of course, you can.  But I strongly recommend that you try this lovely  recipe made with cake flour, which gives  these cupcakes its tender and delicate texture.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raspberry conserve or preserve
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 punnet fresh raspberries
• 200g white chocolate, melted
• icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 190C degrees.
2. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan with oil and line with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and milk. Add to dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for a further 2 minutes on medium.
6. Spread batter evenly on prepared pan and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You want a dry surface and not moist top.
7. Remove cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack, about half an hour.
8. While cake is cooling, combine water and raspberry preserve or conserve . Microwave until melted and smooth (about 30 seconds on high).
9. When the cake is cool, use cookie cutters to cut out as many hearts as you want. Number of hearts will depend on the size of cookie cutter used.
10. Trim each heart to 1/2 inch thickness.
11. Using a pastry brush, spread a layer of the melted raspberry on one heart and top with another heart. Spread raspberry conserve on the top heart as well.
12. Arrange fresh raspberries on the top layer. The raspberry conserve should hold them in place. Glaze the fresh berries  with a fork  dipped into the conserve.
13. Dust with icing sugar.
14. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Dip fork into melted chocolate then using the tines of the fork, drip delicately over the berries.
15. Allow the white chocolate to cool before serving.

These are lovely served as desserts or why not deliver them as breakfast in bed treats? Say your sweet message with these lovely raspberry hearts!