These cherry cupcakes are moist, light, and airy with a vanilla cupcake batter. Made with fresh cherries, a hint of almond extract, and frosted with whipped cream buttercream. Perfect cupcakes to celebrate the cherry season.
Table of Content
This summer harvest brought in some really gorgeous stone fruits and berries. It's so difficult to pass by the grocer and not pick a bag of something fresh. I got a huge bag of cherries! So huge that the kids got to eat in plenty and we made a few other cherry treats like a cherry filling, cherry jam, and even my cherry cheesecake.
Why make these cupcakes?
- The batter is a very simple butter and oil-based vanilla batter that takes just 5 to 7 minutes to prep. (you can also make chocolate cherry cupcakes)
- I'm using fresh cherries pulsed in the blender then strained through a sieve to create this wonderfully smooth and pretty pink color.
- To take advantage of the many cherries I had I also dropped a fresh deseeded cherry in each cupcake. This of course softens and cooks down wonderfully as well.
- Almond and cherries are always a wonderful combination so the hint of almond extract really makes these so refreshing,
- For the frosting, I am using whipped cream buttercream which is light and airy making these refreshing rather than heavy. Of course, these are perfect with many other frostings - see my 50 plus frosting recipes here
Ingredients and substitutes
- Cherries - I am using fresh cherries but frozen blended cherries would work just as well.
- Fat - I am using a combination of both butter and oil to keep thes wonderfully moist. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of salt but feel free to omit salt in the recipe and use butter with salt.
- Eggs - Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies significantly these days, so as a guide one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams.
- All-purpose flour - I like using all-purpose flour for cakes with fresh fruits as it adds a bit more stability to the batter.
- Sugar - I prefer to use white sugar so it won't alter the color of my cupcakes.
- Sour Cream - Gives the cupcakes a soft crumb. You can make sour cream at home or for a quick fix Greek yogurt is a great alternative.
Step by step instructions
Cupcake batter
- Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3
- Line muffin pan with cupcake liners or use baking cups.
- Dry ingredients - Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.
- Blend cherries.- Place half the pitted cherries in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pass it through a sieve. Set aside.
Pro tip - straining the skin from the juice will ensure a smooth texture for our batter but you can certainly use the crushed cherries too.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
Pro tip - adding eggs one at a time making sure it is fully incorporated will prevent the batter from curdling. - Next, add flour, sour cream, and blended cherries in three additions. Followed by the vanilla and almond extract.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners or baking cups.
Pro tip - depending on the size of the eggs and the amount of whipping you may get up to 15 cupcakes or 12 baking cups.
- Optional - Drop a pitted fresh cherry in the center of each batter.
Pro tip - the cherry in the center will skin to the bottom with its weight so do not try to push it in. Leave it on top. Let it sink naturally. - Bake on the center rack for about 20 to 25 minutes (mine took 20 mins). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Pro tip - leaving the cupcakes in the pan for longer than 5 minutes can cause the cupcake to separate from their liners due to steam.
Whipped cream buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and salt for a minute until smooth. Add half the sugar and fresh cream. Beat a minute more.
- Then add the second half of the powdered sugar and combine well. Followed by the vanilla extract. (you can also add a drop of almond extract for these cupcakes)
- Next, whip the buttercream until you have a light and fluffy whipped cream consistency buttercream – about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro tip - it is important to whip the buttercream so the cream in there will build volume otherwise the frosting will be too soft to pipe.
Assemble
- Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip for piping. Smear the piping bag on one side with a raspberry red gel food color. Add buttercream to the bag and secure the top. Give it a gentle squeeze until you see the red frosting coming from one side.
- Pipe a large swirl on the cupcake. The red frosting will create a pretty red swirl effect that I have on these cupcakes.
- Top with a fresh cherry. When not in season you can omit the fresh cherry and drizzle some sprinkles.
More recipes with cherries
- Chocolate cherry cupcakes with bakery frosting
- Chocolate cherry cake with cherry filling
- Cherry Champagne cocktail
- The ultimate cherry pie
- Cherry bars
Frequently asked questions
How to bake cupcakes light and fluffy?
Moist fluffy cupcakes are all about adding volume to your batter when mixing. This means that knowing how to mix your batter is important. For example, never undermix when creaming your butter, sugar and never overmix once you add the flour. See my 10 tips for baking a cake from scratch
How long will these cupcakes keep?
These vanilla cherry cupcakes unfrosted will keep at room temperature for up to two days. Once frosted they will keep at room temperature for a few hours. If well wrapped they will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
How do you cool cupcakes quickly for frosting?
You can place cupcakes in the fridge for a few minutes to cool them quickly. I like to place them for just 5 to 7 minutes in the freezer.
Never leave cupcakes in the fridge open for long as they will dry out.
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Printable Recipe
Vanilla Cherry Cupcakes
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 462kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 12 cupcakes
Description
These cherry cupcakes are moist, light, and airy with a vanilla cupcake batter. Made with fresh cherries, a hint of almond extract, and frosted with whipped cream buttercream. Perfect cupcakes to celebrate the cherry season.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 cup (250 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoon (60 g) Butter (unsalted room temperature)
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Oil ((flavorless) )
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- 2 Eggs (Large)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sour cream
- 8 oz (8 oz) Cherries (pitted) (25 cherries)
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Almond extract
Whipped cream buttercream
- 8 oz (226 g) Unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Whipping cream
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Cupcake batter
- Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3
- Line muffin pan with cupcake liners or use baking cups.
- Dry ingredients - Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.
- Blend cherries.- Place half the pitted cherries in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pass it through a sieve. Set aside.Pro tip - straining the skin from the juice will ensure a smooth texture for our batter but you can certainly use the crushed cherries too.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.Pro tip - adding eggs one at a time making sure it is fully incorporated will prevent the batter from curdling.
- Next, add flour, sour cream, and blended cherries in three additions. Followed by the vanilla and almond extract.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners or baking cups. Pro tip - depending on the size of the eggs and the amount of whipping you may get up to 15 cupcakes or 12 baking cups.
- Optional - Drop a pitted fresh cherry in the center of each batter. Pro tip - the cherry in the center will skin to the bottom with its weight so do not try to push it in. Leave it on top. Let it sink naturally.
- Bake on the center rack for about 20 to 25 minutes (mine took 20 mins). Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Pro tip - leaving the cupcakes in the pan for longer than 5 minutes can cause the cupcake to separate from their liners due to steam.
Whipped cream buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and salt for a minute until smooth. Add half the sugar and fresh cream. Beat a minute more.
- Then add the second half of the powdered sugar and combine well. Followed by the vanilla extract. (you can also add a drop of almond extract for these cupcakes)
- Next, whip the buttercream until you have a light and fluffy whipped cream consistency buttercream – about 2 to 3 minutes.Pro tip - it is important to whip the buttercream so the cream in there will build volume otherwise the frosting will be too soft to pipe.
Assemble
- Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip for piping. Smear the piping bag on one side with a raspberry red gel food color. Add buttercream to the bag and secure the top. Give it a gentle squeeze until you see the red frosting coming from one side.
- Pipe a large swirl on the cupcake. The red frosting will create a pretty red swirl effect that I have on these cupcakes.
- Top with a fresh cherry. When not in season you can omit the fresh cherry and drizzle some sprinkles.
Recipe Notes
- Follow the recipe properly with minimum substitutions for the best results.
- Make sure the ingredients are all at room temperature.
- Use a scooper or measuring cup for distributing the batter for baking similar size cupcakes.
- Always preheat the oven before baking - a hot oven works best for cupcakes.
- Bake cupcakes at the right temperature and on the center rack one tray at a time. Or bake multiple pans in a fan-assisted oven.
- Never open the oven during baking - no peeking.
- Remove cupcakes from their pan no later than 7 to 10 minutes after baking this will prevent the cupcakes liners from peeling away due to steam.
- Store cupcakes properly after baking. Place them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cupcakes dry in the fridge unless wrapped properly with plastic wrap.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 462- kcalCarbohydrates: 47- gProtein: 4- gFat: 30- gSaturated Fat: 18- gCholesterol: 107- mgSodium: 216- mgPotassium: 148- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 31- gVitamin A: 970- IUVitamin C: 1.7- mgCalcium: 52- mgIron: 1.1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Jodi Spinthakis
Hi Veena, Your recipe sounds delicious! I would like to know if the cupcakes can be frozen ?
Veena Azmanov
Yes, these do freeze beautifully for up to a month.