Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!! (for yesterday)




Whether you have someone to celebrate with or not, Valentine's Day is a great excuse to eat lots of sugar. This year was the first year in awhile that I didn't have a show or rehearsal so I decided to celebrate. My friends and I drank yummy cocktails, baked some cupcakes, and watched lots of Ryan Gosling aka just pause the movie whenever he took his shirt off.

For our celebrations we made some pink themed goodies which included grapefruit martinis (which I spilled all over the floor) and cinnamon chocolate cupcakes with cinnamon almond buttercream.




Grapefruit Martini
Juice from one grapefruit
2 tablespoons of simple syrup**
2 shots of vodka 


1. Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into sugar rimmed glasses.


** microwave equal parts sugar and water for 30 seconds and stir until sugar is fully dissolved


Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes
(adapted from Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cake)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup soy milk

3 tablespoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill cupcake pan with liners.

2. Mix together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl using a whisk or mixer. Next add eggs, water, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Make sure to scrape down sides of the bowl.

3. Divide batter into liners, filling 2/3s of the way. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating pan half way through baking. Remove from oven when fully cooked. Let the cupcakes cool fully before decorating.

Cinnamon Almond Buttercream
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar


1. Beat butter until soft. Continue beating as you slowly add in powdered sugar, stopping when it reaches to desired consistency. Add in both extracts and cinnamon, beat until combined. 


***we added pink food coloring to the frosting to make it festive***