Cherry Cupcakes with a Surprise Center

Everyone loves delicious surprises, right? This sweet creation offers just that. Cherry pie filling is waiting for you inside of these perfectly baked and flavored cherry cupcakes. Great for parties of any kind!

Somehow my boys got on a kick recently with cherry-flavored baked goods. I’m not sure where it started, but I have to say I’m loving it. Cherries are delicious and you can’t go wrong flavoring baked treats with this tart-sweet fruit.

Elijah’s birthday was a few weeks ago, so this cupcake was his request. Sammy, my 9-year-old baking fanatic, and I added a surprise to the centers of the cupcakes for an extra touch of birthday fun. Consider making these for any type of celebration coming up! That yummy center will make everyone swoon.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHERRY CUPCAKES

MAKE THE CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake tin with liners. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Add the milk and cherry juice and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners so each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

ASSEMBLE THE CUPCAKES

Using a sharp knife cut a 1-inch chunk out of the top center of each cupcake. Spoon 1 teaspoon of cherry pie filling into each hole. Spread or pipe the frosting over the tops. Top each cupcake with a cherry! Refrigerate until ready to serve.

RECIPE NOTES

• If bing cherries are in season, top the cupcakes with fresh cherries instead of jarred.
• To give the cupcakes a pink color, consider adding a few drops of red food coloring to your batter before baking.
• For extra cherry flavor, add 1-2 teaspoons of cherry extract or add 1/4 cup dried cherry powder to your batter.

HOW TO MAKE CHERRY BUTTERCREAM

In a large bowl, mix (using whisk attachments) 1 cup salted butter with a hand-held or stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add 5 cups powdered sugar (1 at a time), 1/4 cup cherry powder and 4-5 tablespoons of juice from a maraschino cherry jar. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until frosting is smooth and spreadable.

OTHER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING OPTIONS

Vanilla Buttercream Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is creamy, delicious and perfect for piping or spreading onto any cake or cupcake! This recipe requires only a few ingredients and it is super quick and easy to make.

Chocolate Buttercream Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is decadent, chocolatey and it goes great on any baked treat, including cakes, cupcakes and so much more. It is super easy to make and you will never buy store-bought again!

• Lemon Buttercream Lemon-infused buttercream should not be limited to just lemony desserts. A kick of lemon makes every baked good taste better!
• Raspberry Butterceam Dress up your favorite cake or cupcake with a show-stopping raspberry-flavored buttercream frosting!
• Caramel Buttercream Transform caramel into a decadent and irresistible Caramel Buttercream Frosting! Caramel frosting pairs well with all kinds of baked goods, including cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more!

STORING LEFTOVER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Buttercream frosting is safe to keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. The US Food Safety and Inspection gives it a thumbs up because of the amount of sugar and just a little bit of milk inside.

When getting ready to use it again, give it a few minutes to come to room temperature. If you don’t think you’ll have a use for it right away, freeze it! That’ll give you a couple of months to put it away and then make another batch of these cookies.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Buttercream Frosting is simple yet ridiculously tasty and it goes great spread on seriously any cupcake or cake. Here are a few tidbits about making the perfect buttercream frosting!

• SALTED BUTTER – I ALWAYS used salted butter for my baked goods and buttercreams, but that is a personal preference. If you wish to reduce the saltiness, go unsalted! Also, make sure your butter is not totally melted. If you don’t have time to bring it to room temperature, microwave it for no more than 30 seconds.
• MILK – Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until fully incorporated. When you reach the desired frosting consistency, you don’t need to add more. For a less thick buttercream, you may want to increase the amount of milk used to 3-5 tablespoons. For a thicker frosting, 2 tablespoons is ideal.
• MIXING – Once you have reached your desired consistency, crank your mixer up to medium-high speed and set a timer for 3 full minutes. Don’t skimp on time. Three minutes of mixing will produce such a super fluffy, creamy and perfect buttercream frosting.
• SPRINKLES – Stir in sprinkles at the end for an extra touch of fun! I love doing this when I’m baking treats for kids because…SPRINKLES.