Cherry Cupcakes with Chocolate Chips and Buttercream Frosting

Cherry Cupcakes with Chocolate Chips and Buttercream Frosting

Yields 30

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 4 cups cake flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup maraschino cherries, stemmed, drained and chopped
• Whole maraschino cherries for garnish

For Chocolate Frosting:

• 8 ounces baking chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp skim milk
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt

For Cherry Buttercream:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup shortening
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup skim milk
• 1 tsp cherry extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• Few drops of pink food color

Instructions

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven 350F and prepare muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, drain and chop cherries.
3. In a mixing bowl, hand whisk eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla and almond extracts.
4. In another bowl, use a mixer to cream butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until creamy.
5. Add ⅓ of the wet ingredients at a time and beat until mixture is creamy and smooth until well incorporated.
6. Mix in chocolate chips and cherries.
7. Fill lined muffin pans using an ice cream scoop.
8. Bake 20-25 mins or until lightly brown.
9. Transfer onto cooling rack and cool completely.

For Chocolate Frosting

1. Melt chocolate in microwave, stir until smooth and set aside.
2. In a large pot on medium heat, bring milk to a near boil while whisking.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.
4. In a bowl, use a mixer to beat butter and salt until smooth. Slowly mix in sugar mixture until combined.
5. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth and shiny.

For the Cherry Buttercream

1. Cream butter until smooth and free of lumps.
2. Beat in shortening and salt until blended.
3. Slowly add powdered sugar, alternating with a little milk until incorporated.
4. Beat in cherry, almond extracts and few drops of pink food coloring until creamy.

Source: betterbakingbible