This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

These moist cherry cupcakes are so nostalgic! They have a light and fluffy cherry cupcake base with bits of maraschino cherries all throughout, then they’re topped with a beautiful creamy almond cherry buttercream. I’ve tested this recipe with dairy ingredients and dairy free so it can be made either way!

Close-up of cherry cupcakes with tall swirls of cherry almond buttercream and a glossy maraschino cherry on top, in pink cupcake liners on a wire cooling rack

Inspired by my gorgeous pink cherry chip cake recipe, I really wanted to make cute pink cherry chip cupcakes too!

These cupcakes with cherries are the perfect thing to serve at a bridal shower, baby shower, birthday, or Valentine’s day party.

When I tested these cupcakes with dye-free all natural maraschino cherries (the same ones I used for my maraschino cherry cookies), they didn’t get the pretty pink color.

If you’re planning to use dye-free maraschino cherries and still want the cupcakes to be pink, be sure to add a few drops of pink food coloring into the cupcake batter and the buttercream.

Ingredient Notes

Flat lay of cherry cupcake ingredients including butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, diced maraschino cherries, maraschino cherry juice, milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar on a light blue tile surface
  • Almond Extract: almond and cherry are a match made in flavor heaven. We’ll need a little bit for the buttercream, but feel free to add around 1 tsp to the cherry cupcake batter if you want even more almond flavor!
  • Butter and Milk: Whole milk and dairy butter or dairy free milk (I like to use soy or oat) and dairy free butter will all work great in this cherry cupcake recipe.

How To Make These Cupcakes

Overhead view of creamed butter, sugar, and maraschino cherry juice mixture in a stand mixer bowl, showing a pink and white marbled appearance

Mix the wet ingredients together (minus milk!)

Smooth pink cherry cupcake batter with diced maraschino cherry pieces throughout, being folded with a black spatula in a stand mixer bowl

Alternate adding milk and dry ingredients.

Pink cherry cupcake batter divided into a silver cupcake tin lined with white parchment liners, ready to bake

Bake!

Fluffy cherry almond buttercream whipped to a soft blush pink color in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment

Whip up the cherry buttercream, then decorate!

I love to top the cupcakes with a maraschino cherry, but you can decorate with sprinkles or any other way you want to!

Overhead view of a split cherry cupcake showing the vivid pink interior with cherry pieces, surrounded by frosted cupcakes topped with maraschino cherries and a small bowl of maraschino cherries

Recipe Developer Tips

  • Be sure not to over-mix your cupcake batter. Too much mixing will develop the gluten too much and make the cherry cupcakes more gummy.
  • Don’t over-fill the cupcake tins, to avoid overflowing.
  • Cupcakes are highly affected by oven temperature, so if your cupcakes aren’t turning out right you may have an oven that is too hot or not hot enough (this is very common). I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer (they are very inexpensive) then adjusting the temperature as needed!

More Cherry & Berry Recipes You’ll Love

Overhead close-up of strawberry cupcakes with swirled pink buttercream and fresh strawberry slices, surrounded by whole strawberries and a small dish of strawberry puree

Triple Strawberry Cupcakes (with Fresh Strawberries!)
a slice of cherry chip cake on a plate with the full cake behind it

Cherry Chip Cake
chocolate raspberry cupcakes on a tray with a raspberry on top

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Maraschino Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maraschino Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Baking FAQ

These are the topics I’m asked about most frequently:

You can get these answers and more in my frequently asked questions post!

Close-up of cherry cupcakes with tall swirls of cherry almond buttercream and a glossy maraschino cherry on top, in pink cupcake liners on a wire cooling rack
No ratings yet

Soft Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes

Gabby Kislanko
These cherry cupcakes have a light and fluffy cherry cupcake base with bits of maraschino cherries and are topped with almond cherry buttercream.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Print Pin Rate Remove Ads

Ingredients
 

Cherry Cupcakes

  • ¼ cup (53 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
  • ¼ cup (54 ml) oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil)
  • 2 egg whites
  • ¼ cup (66 ml) maraschino cherry juice from the jar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (125 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup + 3 tbsp (148 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons (25 g) cornstarch
  • 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (125 ml) milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
  • ½ cup (67 g) maraschino cherries, chopped very small, SEE NOTES

Cherry Buttercream

  • 1½ cup (315 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 3-3½ cups (330 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  • 1 Tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180℃) and line your cupcake tin with 12 liners. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together until combined. Add in the maraschino cherry juice, egg whites, and vanilla extract.
  • Mix in the granulated sugar.
  • Add in flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder to a separate bowl and whisk together.
  • Alternate slowly adding in the milk and the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
  • Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries (make sure they are chopped very small), until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
  • Fill the cupcake liners ⅔ full, then bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
  • Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove them. While they cool, make the buttercream.

Cherry Buttercream

  • In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, maraschino cherry juice, salt, and ¼ cup of icing sugar. 
  • Slowly add in ¼ cup of powdered sugar at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If the buttercream is too thick, you can add ½ tablespoon of milk in at a time, thinning it out as much as you'd like. If buttercream is too thin, add in more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time.
  • Frost and decorate as desired. Enjoy!

Equipment

cupcake tin
1 cupcake tin
Mixing Bowl

Notes

Measuring Flour: Either measure your flour using a kitchen scale or use the proper scoop and level method.
Maraschino Cherries: Note that if you use natural maraschino cherries (without artificial color in them), the cake will not be pink. If you want it to be pink anyway, you could add a few drops of red food coloring to the cake batter or frosting.
Storage Instructions:
The cupcakes can be stored covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. 
You can store leftover buttercream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge then re-whip it using a handheld or standing mixer.
Calories: 517kcal, Carbohydrates: 67g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 378mg, Potassium: 55mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 47g, Vitamin A: 1263IU, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!

The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

Photography by: Kelly at Bake & Bacon