Italian Love Cupcakes

Anyone who knows me well knows the way to my heart is through my stomach, especially in dessert form. The same can be said for how I show friends and family that I love them. To me, there is nothing better than baking a special treat to give to my husband, my best friend, my mom or a neighbor in need.

For that reason, these Italian Love Cupcakes are definitely going on the Valentine’s Day dinner menu this year. Each year, instead of braving the masses (and not to mention the cold!), my husband and I make each other a fancy dinner at home to celebrate the holiday. He is usually in charge of the main course, while I’m in charge of dessert. I love making recipes that sound and taste decadent, but don’t take too much time or energy to make, and these little cakes certainly fit the bill. (They taste better after some time in the fridge, so consider them especially if make-ahead desserts are your thing.) 

To start, gather your ingredients. I use Betty Crocker cake mix as the base of my cupcakes because it consistently bakes well and tastes delicious. I used the Chocolate Fudge variety for my recipe, but feel free to swap it with Devil’s Food, Dark Chocolate or whatever flavor you love.

Prepare the cake mix and the sweetened ricotta mixture; then line two muffin tins with paper baking cups.

Fill the cups one-third full of the cake batter and top with a couple spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture. The cups will be pretty full at this point, but don’t fret, they’ll even out in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Fun fact: As the cupcakes bake, the ricotta layer will sink to the bottom while the cake layer will bake on top. Cool right?

Cool the cupcakes completely, then pipe on the chocolate pudding frosting (my favorite part).

Serve the cupcakes immediately, or better yet, let them chill in the fridge overnight to develop even more flavor. Either way, these lovely little cakes are a great way to share your affection – and your love of sweets.