Soft Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
These cherry cupcakes have a light and fluffy cherry cupcake base with bits of maraschino cherries and are topped with almond cherry buttercream.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cherry Cupcakes
- ¼ cup butter, softened (regular or dairy free)
- ¼ cup oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil)
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup maraschino cherry juice from the jar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk of choice (regular or dairy free)
- ½ cup maraschino cherries, chopped very small SEE NOTES
Cherry Buttercream
- 1½ cup butter, softened (regular or dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3-3½ cups 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!
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.
Nutrition
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