Cherry Almond Cupcakes
These fluffy, tender, delicious cupcakes have maraschino cherry and sweet almond flavor in the perfect flavor mix! They’re perfect for a birthday or Valentine’s day.
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of cake flour
3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/8 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
18 maraschino cherries, divided
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
6 Tbsp of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature*
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1/2 tsp of almond extract
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/3 cup of buttermilk
3 Tbsp of maraschino cherry juice
Frosting
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (I used 1/2 cup unsalted 1/4 cup salted)
2 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 – 2 1/2 Tbsp of maraschino cherry juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
Few drops of red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°C. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside for about 30 seconds. Slice 6 maraschino cherries in halves and set aside**.
2. Whip the butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg, add the egg white, almond extract, and vanilla extract, and mix until mixed together.
3. Mixed buttermilk with maraschino cherry juice in the liquid measuring cup used to measure buttermilk, and with the mixer set at low speed, working in three separate batches beginning and ending with flour mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture then mixing just until after each addition is combined.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin cups, filling about 1/2 of each cup. And put one half of a cherry in the middle of each cupcake (it will sink to the bottom during baking). Bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
5. To loosen cupcakes (unless yours did not go to the edges like mine) run a butter knife around edges and allow to cool 5 minutes in a muffin tin. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely And pipe Cherry Almond Frosting over the tops or spread.
6. Store them in an airtight container, and just before serving, top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry.
For the frosting:
1. Whip butter at medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy, approximately 8 minutes in a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl (if you have the beater blade paddle scraper attachment, for 5 minutes).
2. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Blend until combined at low speed, and then, if desired, add food coloring and extra cherry juice to thin as desired (adding 1 tsp at a time), and increase speed to medium-high and whip until pale and fluffy, for around 6 minutes longer (about 3 minutes with scraper attachment).
Recipe Notes
*To bring my eggs to room temperature, I usually just let them rest for around 10 minutes in a bowl of warm water.
** These will be put into the cupcake batter later. You might use whole ones if they are small, but ensure you have enough to top the cupcakes, if you use whole cherries you might need 24 total.
Author: Cooking Classy.