Celebrate Valentines Day with these cute 'bee mine' easy bee cupcakes - they're fun to bake with kids and really easy to decorate too!
Do you celebrate Valentines Day with your kids? I find food a great way to express my love for my boys, and at this time of year I can get away with ALL the hearts so I take full advantage of that with plenty of love themed food for them both!
They loved these fun bee cupcakes - with just a hint of love in the red heart wings, they're a great way to say I love you without being too pink and fluffy! They're perfect for a garden or bug themed party too - just swap the red heart wings for white fondant instead for an easy bee themed cupcake that works all the year around!
Valentines 'Bee Mine' Cupcakes
Ingredients (makes 12):
For the vanilla cupcakes:
- 175g softened butter (or dairy free spread)
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 175g self raising flour
- 2 Tbsp milk (or dairy free alternative)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the butter icing:
- 100g softened butter or dairy free spread
- 225g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk or dairy free equivalent
To decorate:
- yellow, black and red fondant icing
- 12 edible candy eyeballs
- black edible food writer pen
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4/350°F). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
Place the butter or dairy free spread into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Add the eggs a little at a time to the butter and sugar mix, whisking in between.
Sift the flour on top, and using an electric whisk on a low speed, gently blend the ingredients together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and blend again. Increase the mixer speed and whisk for a few more seconds until well mixed.
Divide the cake mixture between the cupcake cases and smooth over the tops. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen, golden and springy to the touch.
Meanwhile, make the buttercream icing. Whisk the butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar, a little at a time, until completely combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again. Add the milk in small splashes until the icing is at the correct consistency for piping.
Once the cakes are cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Whilst the cakes are cooling, cut out your fondant pieces, ready to decorate the cakes.
Roll the yellow fondant out to around the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a round cookie cutter the same size as the top of your cupcakes, cut out 12 circles for the base of the toppers. Roll out a smaller and slightly thinner piece of black fondant. Using the same round cookie cutter, cut 6 circles from the black fondant. With a sharp knife, slice each circle into 6 strips.
Roll out a small piece of red fondant. Using a small heart shaped cutter, cut out 12 hearts – 1 for each cupcake.
Once the cakes are cool, pipe a small flat swirl or spread buttercream over each one. Carefully place a yellow fondant circle on top, pressing gently around the edges to mould it to the top of the cake.
Brush the backs of the strips of black fondant with a little water, then carefully add 3 to each cake to create the bee's stripes.
Push a candy eyeball into place on each cupcake, then draw on the mouths with the black edible marker pen.
Brush the back of the red hearts with a dab of water, then gently add one to each bee to make the wings.
Serve and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this cute cupcake design, why not try my love bug cupcakes too! They use the same basic cupcake recipe so you can make a batch of each or mix them up to make a few of each design.
You might also enjoy these cute Valentines cupcake recipes:
Want even more easy cupcake ideas? Check out our Cake & Cupcake Recipes section here on the blog.
You’ll also find lots of child-friendly easy recipes and fun food tutorials for Valentines Day over in the Valentines Day Food section of the blog.
Happy Baking!
Grace
Valentines 'Bee Mine' Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the vanilla cupcakes:
- 175 g softened butter or dairy free spread
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 175 g self raising flour
- 2 Tbsp milk or dairy free alternative
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the butter icing:
- 100 g softened butter or dairy free spread
- 225 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp milk or dairy free equivalent
To decorate:
- yellow black and red fondant icing
- 12 edible candy eyeballs
- black edible food writer pen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4/350°F). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
- Place the butter or dairy free spread into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Add the eggs a little at a time to the butter and sugar mix, whisking in between.
- Sift the flour on top, and using an electric whisk on a low speed, gently blend the ingredients together. Add the milk and vanilla extract and blend again. Increase the mixer speed and whisk for a few more seconds until well mixed.
- Divide the cake mixture between the cupcake cases and smooth over the tops. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen, golden and springy to the touch.
- Meanwhile, make the buttercream icing. Whisk the butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Sift in the icing sugar, a little at a time, until completely combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again. Add the milk in small splashes until the icing is at the correct consistency for piping.
- Once the cakes are cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool. Whilst the cakes are cooling, cut out your fondant pieces, ready to decorate the cakes.
- Roll the yellow fondant out to around the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a round cookie cutter the same size as the top of your cupcakes, cut out 12 circles for the base of the toppers. Roll out a smaller and slightly thinner piece of black fondant. Using the same round cookie cutter, cut 6 circles from the black fondant. With a sharp knife, slice each circle into 6 strips.
- Roll out a small piece of red fondant. Using a small heart shaped cutter, cut out 12 hearts – 1 for each cupcake.
- Once the cakes are cool, pipe a small flat swirl or spread buttercream over each one. Carefully place a yellow fondant circle on top, pressing gently around the edges to mould it to the top of the cake.
- Brush the backs of the strips of black fondant with a little water, then carefully add 3 to each cake to create the bee's stripes.
- Push a candy eyeball into place on each cupcake, then draw on the mouths with the black edible marker pen.
- Brush the back of the red hearts with a dab of water, then gently add one to each bee to make the wings.
Love these fun cupcakes? Why not save this post to Pinterest so you can easily find them again!
Phil Avery says
These are just super cute, and you're right, can easily make them for other occasions and themes with a little tweak. I'm going to do a trial run tomorrow then make some for valentines day. Thanks!
Grace Hall says
Thank you, so glad you loved the recipe!