The Big V Day Musings

This recipe isn’t necessarily just for Valentines Day. I mean, as much as I hate to admit it, not everyone holds the capacity to eat a whole batch of cupcakes. No, not even me. But if you are one person, and you can make two moist, chocolatey cupcakes with just enough frosting to decorate it AND spoon the extra, why make any more?

The sweet, berry-filled frosting combined with the delicious richness of the cupcakes really does take these to a whole new level. If you are making them for Valentines Day though, I worn you. You might not be able to share it with your soul mate… legit. If they aren’t your soul mate, I wouldn’t even consider sharing them.

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So the Big V is coming up. Flowers, chocolates, rainbows, heart-shaped assorted candies, the whole lot. And while I am just waiting for it all to go on sale 😉 , the Big V is definitely officially here. So for this post, parents and assorted family friends, stop reading here, and beautiful non-related readers, keep reading 😀

With V-Day comes all the hearts on the big screen and relationships surrounding me in every TV show (even Phineas and Ferb). How can I not ponder romantical questions right? So let me start my musings.

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Firstly, I am 19 and not in any form of a relationship. Is that weird? Am I an abnormal teenager? Considering I have seen SO many people be in relationships since, literally, I hit fourth grade (yeah, I know kids are cray), is it weird that I still am not all that fussed by it?

Sure, I am not going to lie to you, I am definitely curious. What would it be like to committed to another person? I mean, in the relationships I see (I mean the actual ones, not the drunken hook ups 😛 ), people have to talk and spend time together everyday. Well, maybe ‘have’ is the wrong word. ‘Want’ is the right word.

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Have I ever met someone I want to hang with everyday? Well, excluding family obviously, I guess my best friends, but even then sometimes, I just want to shut off my messaging, my texting and just spend the day with me, myself and I. So I guess that answers that question – I certainly don’t think I have ever met a guy I would be willing to chill with everyday.

Ugh. Does that make me selfish? Do I subconsciously have guy cootie phobia or something?

Wait, can I even use ‘hang with’ when it comes to a boyfriend? Or am I supposed to say ‘be with’ because ‘hang with’ sounds too friend-like?

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And then, from what I have seen in some relationships, there is so much… ‘gushing’. I am a dry, sarcastic person who (not even deep down), loves seeing people getting together. I ‘ooh’ and I ‘aah’ and I absolutely 100% mean it when I hear gorgeous stories! (no sarcasm here!)
But at the same time, if a grand/tiny romantic gesture ever came my way, I would get super awkward and uncomfortable. I am not a pretty crier readers, truly, I am not. And I have the worst ‘I’m so embarrassed’ smile in the history of forever. Legit 😛 Even if I got flowers, I think my face would swell up like a tomato.

No pretty blushing here!

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I know I sound uber unromantic now, but I’m not, I promise. I’ve watched the Titanic and cried my fair share of tears in literally every single romantic comedy in the world. I listen to Taylor Swift. I have watched the dozens of crazy cool marriage proposals where people flashmob and lip dub and all that. I think the Eiffel Tower is hella romantic, despite its cliche-ness.

Ok, maybe if I want it to sound romantic, I should stop saying hella romantic 😛  But I am your average basic girl in this regard! (emphasis on the basic here)

And yes, I have had a few crushes in my life. Not recently (which is weird, because uni right?) and more crushes on celebrities than on ‘normal’ people to be frank, but yes, I have had all the crazy ‘what if you met…’ discussions with my girls as well. I’m truly not abnormal in that sense.

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So then is taking an ‘it’ll happen if it happens’ approach too laissez-faire with relationships? Am I meant to give everyone a shot? Am I meant to put more effort in here?

I’ve been asked out last year, might be this year, but I didn’t say yes because I didn’t feel anything. At all. Am I being picky? Should I have taken a chance to see what happened? My friends said I should have. But I felt like I couldn’t be bothered.

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So maybe I am just not mature enough to have a ‘relationship’. Maybe having fun is more my speed right now? I don’t mind that 😉 (I told you family friends/parents, you should have stopped reading!)

Honestly I swear, all this romance business is just difficult. I guess if it were easy though, then we would all eventually end up meeting our soul mate and having a white picket fence with 2.4 kids right?

Give me a dog-friendly apartment complex any day 😛

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I guess what I am really asking you all is ‘how did you do it’?  Or how did it happen?  From the incessant amount of blog stalking I do (not even ashamed by the way), I hear your stories and so many of you sound happily in relationships/married, which is excellent! 🙂 So what’s the secret? Is there a secret? Or am I ok to just not care all that much about relationships like I do right now? 😀

Anyway, that’s my basket load of questions. If anyone wants to help 🙂

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I hope everyone who is into Valentines Day has a fabulous day tomorrow, enjoying your loved ones and all the romantical shenanigans you will get up to! ❤
For all those like me, just waiting for the chocolates to go on sale, well, get a head start on the eating binge with these cupcakes 😀

A tout a l’heure mes amis!

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Nutella Berry Cupcakes For Two

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Adapted from: The Comfort Of Cooking

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

  • 1/4 cup self-raising flour (SRF)
  • 3 tbs brown sugar
  • 2 tbs salted butter, browned (or canola oil)
  • 2 heaping tsp dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 3 tbs Nutella
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbs full cream milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Frosting

  • 3 tbs butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup mixed forest fruit jam, non-chunky
  • 1/4 cup + 1-2 tbs icing mixture/sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 tsp full cream milk

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line a cupcake tin with 2 paper liners.
  2. In one medium bowl, mix the butter, nutella, milk and vanilla essence together. In another, whisk the SRF, brown sugar and cocoa powder and baking soda together.
  3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ones, stirring till just combined and liquidy.
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  4. Divide batter evenly between the cups till around a little over 3/4 full.
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  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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  6. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
  7. Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat butter and icing sugar till a smooth, creamy mixture forms. Mix in the forest jam, essence and milk and beat till incorporated in. Add in a tsp more icing mixture if the mixture seems too liquidy.
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  8. Pop the frosting into a piping bag and push the nozzle into the middle of the cupcake and pipe out a little bit (I cut out a bit of cake and smooshed it back on)
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  9. Then pipe the top of the cupcake and decorate as desired!
  10. Devour with whomever is special enough to share it with! 🙂

 

Go Bake Yourself

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98 Comments

  2. grace says:

    beautiful cupcakes for my least favorite ‘holiday’ of all time! 🙂 i’m always a little worried to eat those decorative balls, but i guess they’re okay… 🙂

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  3. Kumar's Kitchen says:

    these cupcakes look so pretty with those sprinkles…and the recipe for jam butter cream brought a flood of memories…a good friend made this frosting for all her cakes…and yours looks exactly like the ones we had tasted years ago,thanks so much…Have A Beautiful Day!!! 🙂

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  5. bec {daisy and the fox} says:

    These cupcakes are all us galz need on Valentines Day!
    i’d happily kick back with a batch of these all to myself 😛
    They look gorgeous Uru!
    x

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  6. Eva Taylor says:

    I’m sorry to have missed this beautiful recipe, the pink is simply gorgeous. It’s perfectly normal to not want to be involved romantically at your age, you need to find yourself and experience things, no need to get tied down so early. When you find the right one, you’ll feel differently.

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  9. thelady8home says:

    And then it will hit you. Just like that. Splat. And you won’t even know what hit you. You will sigh. You will croon. You will blush. You will wait for that single look….your way. Green will come only in one color…till then, enjoy while it lasts. And isn’t that one gorgeous cup cake. Love it.

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  11. Karen says:

    Love your recipe that makes just two delicious cupcakes. I agree with all the others…enjoy every moment of your life doing what makes you happy. You have lots of time ahead for romance in your life.

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  12. Amanda @ Gourmanda says:

    As cliched as it sounds, it’s definitely true that when you meet the right person, you’ll just know! If you haven’t felt anything for anyone so far, don’t feel like you have to say yes just to try dating. Honestly, dating is pretty terrible and stressful!

    I met my husband through his best friend…who I actually met on RSVP. I didn’t hit it off with his friend, but as soon as I met my husband, I knew we could spend our lives together. I always think that the perfect measure of happiness in marriage is finding someone you can be bored with. Not bored OF, but bored WITH – simply happy to sit around and do nothing with someone!

    Hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day – self-indulgent and happy!

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  16. Louise says:

    Boy I’m glad these cupcakes aren’t only for Valentine’s Day, Uru. What a shame it would be not to be able to enjoy them any ol’ time, like now!!! They look so darn yummy I really wish I could devour one, or even two, lol…

    As for the romantic “you,” not to worry, take your time, you will know when the time is right:)

    Thank you so much for sharing, Uru…

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  21. mjskit says:

    I think Angie said it best “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach..so feed them these cupcakes, Uru :-))” At 19 romance shouldn’t definitely not be a worry in your life. When you find that someone that you want to chill with, you’ll know it, it will just happen and then you’ll be wanting to make these cupcakes all of the time, not just for V-day. 🙂

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  22. Judit + Corina @GlamorousBite says:

    Do not spend a minute to worry about not having a relationship, just enjoy your youth, your studies and your independence!!! When the right person comes along you will want to spend every minute together 🙂
    Love your decadent cupcakes they are perfect for any (future) date night!

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  23. Tammy says:

    I’m not exactly the ‘romantic’ type myself…and oddly, I’m not even phased by it. I actually do love Valentine’s Day. I like to dress in pink or red to be festive…oh yeah, and indulge in a little bit of chocolate ;D …anyway, I guess because we’re both young and brought up in this actually rather distant, digital age we’re more self-dependent and not as needy.

    These cupcakes look so beautiful Uru. I especially love that they only make two…which on the flip side could be dangerous for me, as I may be tempted to whip two cupcakes up each day xD

    Either way, I hope your Valentine’s Day was a beautiful one.

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  26. Juliana says:

    Oh Uru, these cupcakes are adorable…and yes, no hurry in being in a relationship…you will know when the right person comes to you…
    Hope you are having a great week my dear 🙂

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  27. Liz says:

    great post 🙂 And those cupcakes are swoon-worthy. Perfect! Interesting questions you ask. You’re so young–plenty of time to meet whomever it is you want to spend the rest of your life with. But seriously, no hurry. Once it’s done it’s done (or at least it’s supposed to be, lol) and your single days are Over. I married at 23–a guy I met in college.We have two kids now and life has never been so stressful. Hate to paint a non-rosy picture because my husband is a good guy and I absolutely love him, but our Valentine’s Day wasn’t that great. Too much fighting. Hoping for smoother sailing eventually, but the kid part of marriage can really rough things up. Which is why you have to wait for the right person. Not saying there’s only one Right Person, but if you pick a Wrong one, things will be much much harder. My 2 cents.

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    • Choc Chip Uru says:

      I hope the fighting eases down, I have heard everyone has rough patches now and again. And the bottom line is you love him so I am sure you both will be fine 🙂 Lots of hugs!

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

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  38. Kris ~ Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says:

    Oh my, but I do want one of your cupcakes! They look sooo good! I am not one to ever give relationship advice, but what I will say is that you will know when the time is right. When the right person asks to spend time with you, if it’s right, you will know that you want to spend time with them 🙂 So, until then… Have fun and enjoy your time!!

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  41. An Unrefined Vegan says:

    No need to “worry” about not being in a relationship, CCU! You’ve got so much going on, have such a wonderful family and group of friends – and you should just ENJOY the present and let the future happen :-).

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  43. grabyourfork says:

    These cupcakes look delish! As for relationships – I wouldn’t worry too much about looking for one. I’ve always wondered why women feel so compelled/guilty if they’re not in a relationship. Much more important to seek your own personal fulfilment without looking for someone else to feel complete 🙂

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  44. applec says:

    I always liked hanging out with the guys rather than the girls. It seemed their conversations were more interesting to me 🙂

    Those cupcakes would have made my husband very happy on Valentines day. Oh well.. he had to make his own pancakes.

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  45. Cakelaw says:

    These cupcakes look insanely good. It’s not weird to be 19 and never have been in a romantic relationship. There’s plenty of time for that stuff. Go out, enjoy life, and the rest will follow.

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  46. shenANNAgans says:

    Lady, there is PLENTY of time to get your relationship on, says she who is 30 something and perfectly happy living a single life. Enjoy it girlfriend! Now… These gorgeous little cakes are just freakin amaze. I waaaannnnttt one. 🙂 Hope your VDay was fun filled, and that your every other day is just as wonderful. Loves and hugs coming at choo from the Berra. 🙂

    PS: I LOVE that Maureen asked John to marry her at the top of the Eiffel tower. That is beautiful, tearing up over here.

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  50. dianeskitchentable says:

    I think you’re on the right track with what you want out of life right now – you’ve got university taking up a lot of time & having fun with friends. If you tie yourself down too early, you’ll always feel that you’ve missed out on something.
    p.s. those cupcakes are sweet as you!

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  52. Beth says:

    Your post is so sweet (literally and figuratively!). I didn’t meet my husband until I was 25, and we didn’t start dating until a year later. I was married when I was 28. And I have lots of friends who met and married the man they love when they were older. So you’ve got lots of time – don’t rush it! It’s always best to enjoy where you are, and start dating when you meet someone you connect with.

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  56. Frugal Hausfrau says:

    Hi CCU! I had to stop by just to see what treat you cooked up for Valentine’s Day, and these met every expectation! They’re just gorgeous, and the photos! Like a magazine. I do have to take exception to using not one, but TWO wrappers! LOL! Take care!

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  58. Betty says:

    I love these cupcakes, especially since there are only two of them! 🙂 You are still young- don’t rush into a relationship you’re not ready for. You have PLENTY of time!

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  60. eliotthecat says:

    Words of wisdom from someone older (much) than you: Love doesn’t have to be all oohs and aahs. I’m not the gushy type either and I don’t listen to Taylor Swift. (Loved that line btw—really well-written post. I love your sarcasm and humor!!!!) I wouldn’t share any of these cupcakes! (Well, maybe I would let The Hubs have one or two—now that’s true love!)

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  61. tableofcolors says:

    Lovely post Uru…and really I don’t think you need to rush. Enjoy your youth having fun. Seriously! You have the rest of your life to get involved in a committed mature relationship that comes with all of the responsibilities of adulthood. When I was a bit younger I had my share of crushes as well. Then after one, I decided that no more. I would not look at boys anymore for a while…Just take a break and have fun with my friends. Then I happened to meet my future husband. Our relationship was a long distance one and we only saw each other at first once a month and later only a couple times a year. But you know what: that was perfectly fine with me. I was more than happy studying hard at the university and just living the life of a young person. Now I am happily married with six kids and I wouldn’t change anything in the world, especially the fact that we took it easy in the beginning. And you what else, my husband is also my BFF. And we give plenty of space to each other to do things by ourselves…as I don’t need someone holding my hand at all times and neither does he 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day to you Uru!

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    • Choc Chip Uru says:

      Sounds like from your comment and others that the more you actively look for it, the more stressful it gets. Seems like love has found you all some way or another 🙂 And with 6 kids, I’d say you have an absolutely wonderful family 🙂
      Hope you had a lovely Valentines Day my friend x

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

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  63. Coffee and Crumpets says:

    From all your posts, sounds like you are having the time of your life! Why spoil it with baggage! Relationships are baggage and they’re hard and take up time, and you don’t need all that right now. If you are happy, then do what you’re doing and when the time is right, you’ll know. I was very much like you, so busy with school and friends, and enjoying it! I’ve been married for 18 years, it’s no easy! Enjoy your freedom my dear!
    Besides, if you had someone, they might make you share these cupcakes. I don’t like sharing and my hubby has a huge sweet tooth.

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  67. shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says:

    Uru – I love your writing! But, I think you might be being a tad too harsh in thinking you are immature – on the contrary, I think you are mature to know what you want – being picky is never, ever a bad thing. I mean -if you didn’t feel anything and you forced yourself to go out with these peeps – then you’d be leading them on – because they would start crushing on ya pronto and that wouldn’t be “hella romantic”!!!
    By the way – these cupcakes are insanly hella mouthwatering!

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  69. vickibensinger says:

    I think when the right person comes along you’ll definitely know it. It’s best not to try seeking someone out because it only sets one up for disappointment in my opinion.You’re still young, you’ve got a lifetime ahead of you. All I can say is it will be one lucky guy because you’re smart, pretty, and a great cook!

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  71. on thehomefrontandbeyond says:

    I think you are handling the whole thing well–dating for the sake of dating is agony–when I was young sometimes I would date just to shut people up–but like you I was picky and wished I had not gone out on those dates. I met my husband kind of when I was not looking–though I admit to having a crush on him in high school–it was not until I finished university and moved home (jobless) that I met him again and we started dating–I was 27 years old and did not marry until I was 29 and I now have the requisite 2 kids and a cat (that is my .4). I am glad that you feel complete in yourself–that guarantees you a life well-lived–and going to uni is meant for fun (as well as studies). Enjoy yourself–and listen to your gut–it will tell you when and if to date………..

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  73. Kim@Treats & Trinkets says:

    Girl, you are not weird for not being in a relationship at 19. I have some friends of the kind that absolutely have to be in a relationship at all times, and that’s lead to some truly toxic relationships, so it’s totally okay that you don’t feel the need to be in a relationship. I’ve always thought having a date on Valentine’s Day for the sole purpose of having a date on Valentine’s Day always kind of defeated the purpose anyway.

    So you can just share that second cupcake with me now. Nutella and berries? YUM

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  74. Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says:

    I feel like kids my children’s age and yours..seem to fall into one of two groups, laid back and slow to find a boyfriend/girlfriend or committed for years to a high school sweetheart. This is so different from our generation where we’d date for 3 months to a year, break up, go steady again. I have to say, our way was a lot of fun:) Sort of like trying out lots of different cupcakes to see which one we liked best.. and I think I’d choose your pink ones:D xx

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  75. Bam's Kitchen says:

    If you just handed me over the frosting bag, I would love to do shots of that frosting…straight from the piping bag. The cupcakes are just a vehicle to get the frosting into my mouth but I am sure together just blissful.

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  78. jothetartqueen says:

    This cupcake sounds really delicious. love nutella and berries! Best when enjoyed with friends.
    Don’t worry about being unromantic or disinterested in guys now. You don’t have to feel pressurised just because it seems like the norm.

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  82. Veronica says:

    I wouldn’t worry at all, I actually like your attitude a lot. Being boy crazy can get a girl in a lot of trouble. Being able to take it slow and focus on other things will more likely put you on the track to finding your real true love. And it will happen when it’s meant to happen. You don’t have to worry. One day, he will just be there and you’ll just know.

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  83. Three Well Beings says:

    I think it’s a huge advantage in life to be using these years to explore all the things that interest you. You have shared so many times how much you enjoy your friends as well as university and baking AND…you have a lot of interests. You’ll find that somewhere in the future while you’re living life and and enjoying your independence you’ll meet someone and and it will all look different to you. I’m glad you aren’t putting your life “on hold” feeling pressured to have a relationship. All in time! 🙂 I’ve been married a long, long time and I was married at 19. Times were very different back then and I didn’t even really consider options. I work in a university with students just your age, and every day I admire them for all they are accomplishing and all they will do in the future. I didn’t even see those options when I was that age. So I encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing. From all that I can tell, you are just terrific, Uru.

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    • Choc Chip Uru says:

      You are the loveliest my friend, thanks for your encouragement. Married at 19, to be honest, sounds like the scariest thing in the world for me now, but you are right, times are WAY different now! x

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

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  84. kitchenriffs says:

    Gosh, I always thought you were in a serious relationship with chocolate! 🙂 Seriously, don’t worry about it. You’re focused on uni and busy with other things. No need to rush things (unless, of course, you find that person that you like even better than chocolate!).

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  85. thehungrymum says:

    19 and not in a r\ship? Sounds perfectly normal – and quite frankly, perfect, to me! Enjoy these days. These little cakes are just splendid. May your V Day be just another day, or even better, a day with lovely cake.

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  86. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says:

    Don’t ever feel pressurized to be in a relationship. I was happily single when I met Dave and we were friends first. That in my opinion is what makes our relationship work. We’ve been together for 19 years and each day has been amazing 🙂

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  87. Angie@Angie's Recipes says:

    They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach..so feed them these cupcakes, Uru :-))
    I love these beautiful cuties…that frosting is totally irresistible.

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  88. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says:

    I think it’s just fine not to be romantic at your age. If you get to be my age and you still say the same thing, then it might be slightly weird. I love your little cupcakes and I love Le Tour Eiffel too. I asked John to marry me late one night at the very top. Instead of being romantic he laughed and said, “seriously??” I kept him anyway.

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