Valentine's "Flours"

I have never been one for roses. In fact, I'm one of those weird girls who isn't very flowery at all.

When my husband and I first started dating 8 years ago, I shared with him that if ever I were to receive flowers as a gift, my preference would be tulips. He complied and tulips became a tradition of sorts throughout our courtship and into our marriage. {Poor guy, tulips aren't always easy to find. Oops.}

Had I received a bouquet of roses like these, I might have changed my mind completely.

These rose cupcakes just scream,"Will you be my Valentine?" {or even"Will you nibble on me for breakfast?"} Plus they don't require tending, you don't have to worry about pointy thorns, and they smell just as sweet as any other bouquet. {Though I wouldn't sniff them too closely or you might end up with frosting on your nose.}

These bouquets were made up of mini Vegan Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes with Black Cherry Tea Infused Buttercream. Whew, that's more of a mouthful to say than it is to eat these delicious little bites. You could certainly use your favorite recipe in place of this one, but you might want to give these a try before you decide.

 Whether you are celebrating Valentine's Day with friends, family, or a special someone, I hope it's filled with nothing but the sweetest things! XO

 Vegan "Chocolate Covered Cherry" Mini Cupcakes
Inspired by Shape.com

For the cupcakes:
42 cherries {fresh or frozen}
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 mini muffin tins with liners. Place one cherry in the bottom of each muffin cup.

Mix vinegar and almond milk and let sit for five minutes. Meanwhile, in another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. 

Whisk together the almond milk/vinegar, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add wet to dry and mix until combined.

Pour batter into cupake liners, {almost to top, I use my little cookie scoop} covering cherries completely. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until springy {careful not to burn, it's harder to tell with chocolate cake.} Let cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:

Black Cherry Tea Infused Buttercream

1 1/2 sticks butter {or Earth Balance if you wanna go vegan all the way}
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 Black Cherry herbal tea bags {I use Celestial Seasonings}
2 tbsp boilng water
2 tbsp. almond milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp. salt
*You could add food coloring optionally, but I chose to let the tea's natural red infuse the buttercream with a pale pink.

Beat butter until soft and pale.

Brew the tea in the two tablespoons of boiling water and let sit for ten minutes to steep. Add the almond milk.

Add tea mixture, plus the powdered sugar {one cup at a time until desired consistency is reached} and almond extract to butter. Continue to beat until very light and fluffy.

Frost cupcakes using this technique for roses.