Dark Chocolate Cupcakes With Cherry Buttercream Recipes

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Strain maraschino cherries over a large measuring cup. Count out 24 cherries with their stems intact and set aside on paper towels. Remove stems from the remaining cherries and place one in the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
• Stir cherry-flavored brandy into the cherry juice. Add more brandy or water to total 1 1/4 cups liquid. Pour liquid into a bowl.
• Add eggs and oil; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Evenly divide batter among the muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract and salt; beat for 1 minute more. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin.
• Frost each cupcake and garnish with the reserved cherries.

DARK CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease or line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Dig a well in the center and pour in buttermilk, eggs, butter, oil, and almond extract. Begin stirring, then use an electric mixer to make to a smooth, thick batter. Pour in cherry pie filling and stir until distributed.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Try to distribute cherries evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 23 to 27 minutes. Let cool completely.

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHERRY BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Line 24 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners.
• In a medium saucepan, combine butter, chopped chocolate, and cocoa powder.
• Cook over med-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth; cool for 15 minutes.
• In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at high speed with a mixer until thick and pale.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• Gradually add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Stir in butter-chocolate mixture.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make buttercream--in the top of a double boiler, whisk sugar and egg whites until combined.
• Cook over simmering water until mixture reaches 140° on a candy thermometer; do not stir.
• Immediately pour mixture into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer.
• Beat at high speed for 10 minutes; decrease speed to med-low.
• With mixer running, add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating just until combined after each addition.
• Add cherry-flavored syrup, beating until combined.
• Keep buttercream at room temperature until ready to frost cupcakes.
• Pipe or spread Cherry Buttercream over cupcakes.
• Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 5 days.

DARK CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In small microwavable bowl, microwave 2 tablespoons chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 minute, until melted, stirring once halfway through heating. Pour chocolate onto 12 x10-inch sheet of waxed paper; spread in thin layer, forming 3 x3-inch square. Place second 12 x10-inch sheet of waxed paper over chocolate square; press to release air bubbles. Roll waxed paper tightly into a cylinder. Regenerate until set.
• In medium heat- place 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter. In small microwavable bowl, microwave whipping cream on High about 1 minute or until cream just begins to simmer. Pour cream over chips and butter; beat with whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and shiny. Refrigerate 30 to 45 minutes until completely cooled, stirring occasionally.
• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place Reynolds Baking Cups in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside. In small bowl, mix boiling water and cocoa until dissolved.
• In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Beat 2 more minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg until blended. On low, alternatively add flour mixture and cocoa mixture, beating just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• Beat frosting with electric mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds (Do not overheat.) Fit decorating bag with large star tip. Fill bag with frosting. Pipe frosting in circular top of each cupcake and mounding frosting slightly in center.
• Unroll waxed paper cylinder, causing chocolate to crack creating shards. Garnish each cupcake with chocolate shards. Store in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE AND CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 1800C/ Gas Mark 4.
• In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth – this should take 3-5 minutes using an Electric Hand Mixer.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat again briefly – add the sifted flour and baking powder and beat the mixture again until it’s well combined.
• Stir in the pieces of Dark Chocolate and Cherries using a wooden spoon (Make sure you do not crush the chocolate, otherwise when the cupcakes are baking, the chocolate won’t melt inside).
• Carefully spoon the mixture into each of the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full.
• Bake them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes – to check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of the cakes which should come out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool.
• Once they are completely cool, ice the cupcakes with the Chocolate Buttercream icing using a mini palette or butter knife. For decoration, place 5-6 almonds on each top in a petal formation and a dot of white icing in the centre as the pollen.