Cherry Heart Cakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened + 2 tbsp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 None eggs, beaten
1 None lemon, zested and juiced
2 cups pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp whole milk
1 - 13.5 oz can cherries, drained, juice reserved
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 drops pink food coloring (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F. Grease a heart-shaped muffin tray. Cream butter with sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Gradually add eggs, beating between each addition. Add lemon zest. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt then add milk. Fold in cherries then distribute batter between muffin holes. Bake for 30-35 mins. Allow to cool in the tray for 5 mins, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 lemon juice with 1/2 powdered sugar to make a thick icing. MIx remaining powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp reserved cherry juice (and a few drops of pink food coloring, if using). Transfer 1 tbsp of each icing to separate piping bags. Set aside.
Coat fondants in remaining icing. Once dry, pipe patterns onto each fondant with reserved icing then dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving.