Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

hese chocolate cherry cupcakes are decadent and moist, made with fresh cherries. Chocolate cupcakes filled with a sweet cherry filling and topped with a bakery-style vanilla frosting the perfect way to celebrate cherries in season.

Ingredients

Cupcake - Dry ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cup (300 g) White sugar
▢ 1 ¾ cup (220 g) All-purpose flour
▢ 1 teaspoon Baking soda
▢ ½ teaspoon Baking powder
▢ 6 tablespoon (42 g) Cocoa powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt

Cupcake - Wet ingredients

▢ ⅔ cup (160 ml) Vegetable oil
▢ ⅓ cup (80 ml) Boiling water
▢ ½ cup (120 ml) Cup yogurt
▢ 2 Large eggs
▢ 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Cherry filling

Bakery Frosting

▢ ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted butter
▢ ½ cup (100 g) Vegetable shortening
▢ 3 cups (360 g) Powdered sugar
▢ 2 tablespoon Hot water
▢ 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla
▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt

Garnish

▢ 20 Fresh cherries
▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) Juices saved from the cherry filling

Instructions

Cupcake batter

Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3. Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.
Wet ingredients - Combine the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Use a whisk to make sure the eggs are well incorporated and there are no lumps.
Pro tip - I like to whisk the yogurt first to ensure no lump, then add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
Dry ingredients - Use a bowl large enough for the final batter. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix them well together with a whisk.
Pro tip - use fine grain sugar so it will dissolve in the batter easily.
Combine wet to dry - Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine well then add the hot water.
Pro tip - Use a whisk to combine the two slowly so you have a smooth, not lumpy batter.
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners. and bake in the preheated oven 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.
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.

Cherry filling

Place cherries in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice, and half the water (¼ cup). Heat on low to medium until sugar is dissolved.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup water with the cornstarch. Combine well and add to the saucepan.
Continue to cook on low – the mixture will thicken and look glossy. When thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon or spatula it’s ready. Cool completely before using.
Pro tip - The filling will thicken some more as it cools. If necessary add 1 to 2 tablespoon hot water to bring to the right consistency.

Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and vegetable shortening for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add cornstarch to the water and add it to the creaming mixture.
Continue to cream until it’s a smooth mixture again. Then, add vanilla extract followed by powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the sugar is in – whip the buttercream for a good three minutes until light and fluffy.

Assemble

Save a few tablespoons of liquid from the cherry filling to drizzle on the frosted cupcakes later.
Core each cupcake in the center and add a generous teaspoon of the filling in the hole. Cut the cored piece in half and place it back on the filling to close the top like a lid.
Pro tip - You can use a cupcake corer or a knife to cut a small circle on the top of the cupcake. Remove the center out.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake. Drizzle with the saved liquid from the cherry filling and top with a fresh cherry.

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.

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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