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!
Preheat oven to 350°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, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until creamy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Gradually add 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. 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!
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.