Description
Delightful homemade cherry cupcakes combine sweet fruit with classic bakery magic. Moist cake layers topped with creamy frosting create a simple dessert perfect for summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (190 g / 6.7 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (150 g / 5.3 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) milk
- ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) maraschino cherry juice
- ½ cup (75 g / 2.6 oz) chopped maraschino cherries
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) maraschino cherry juice
- Maraschino cherries (for garnish)
- 1 cup (230 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480 g / 16.9 oz) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) maraschino cherry juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to ensure uniform distribution of leavening agents.
- Butter Transformation: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes voluminous and pale, creating a light, airy base.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Blend eggs one at a time, ensuring complete incorporation, then fold in vanilla extract to create a smooth, uniform mixture.
- Batter Development: Gently alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients, maintaining the batter’s delicate texture with minimal mixing.
- Cherry Infusion: Carefully fold chopped maraschino cherries throughout the batter, ensuring even distribution without compromising the batter’s structure.
- Baking Preparation: Distribute batter into cupcake liners, filling each two-thirds full to allow optimal rising during baking.
- Baking and Testing: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, watching for golden edges and verifying doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.
- Cooling Process: Allow cupcakes to rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling before serving.
Notes
- Prevent Cherry Sinking: Toss chopped cherries in a light dusting of flour before folding into batter to prevent them from dropping to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking.
- Measure Ingredients Precisely: Use exact measuring cups and level dry ingredients to ensure consistent texture and rise in your cupcakes.
- Check Moisture Balance: If using maraschino cherries, drain them thoroughly to prevent excess liquid from affecting the batter’s consistency and baking performance.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow butter, eggs, and milk to reach room temperature before mixing to create a smoother, more evenly integrated batter that results in lighter, fluffier cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg