AuthorHeather WallaceCategorycupcakes & muffinsDifficultyIntermediateDelightful and exquisite...soft, fluffy, moist, and studded with maraschino cherries these sparkly cherry chip cupcakes are almost too pretty to eat!
When my sister asked if I could make cherry chip cupcakes for a friend's wedding as a gift from her I jumped at the challenge to create a cupcake that was as elegant looking at it was delicious. I had never made cherry chip cupcakes or cake before so I set out to find a trustworthy recipe that I could slightly tweak to my own liking and settled upon one that I adapted from Tessa Huff. And while I didn't want the cupcakes to be super pink for the occasion I decided not to add any pink food coloring that makes that traditional pink-tinged cherry chip cake we all know. Adding a small amount of maraschino cherry syrup to the buttercream gave a very slight cherry flavor but again, didn't overly make the frosting pink allowing the sparkly cherry to really pop on the top of the cupcake.
Edible glitter gave just the right amount of elegance for a special occasion while not being too over the top.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Chop 1 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries so that you have about 3/4 cup. Place on a plate lined with a few paper towels and set aside to drain.
In a medium-sized bowl sift together 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream 1 cup of room temperature butter on medium speed for 1 minute, then add 1 ½ cups granulated sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to medium-low and add in 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 large-whole room temperature eggs, one at a time.
Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in between adding the eggs.
Whisk together ⅔ cup of room temperature buttermilk, and ⅓ cup maraschino cherry syrup from the bottle and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the chopped maraschino cherries and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour; set aside.
Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture followed with the cherry buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients mixing to combine between each addition (you can add a bit of pink food coloring if desired).
Transfer batter to a large bowl and set aside.
Clean and thoroughly dry the mixing bowl.
In the clean mixing bowl whisk 4 large room temperature egg whites on high until medium-firm peaks form.
With a rubber spatula fold the chopped cherries into the batter.
Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites until combined. Continue to fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth.
Fill each cupcake mold about 2/3 full.
Bake for about 20 minutes to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Cool completely.
Baste each cooled cupcake with a small amount of maraschino syrup. This will keep the cupcakes from drying out.
In a large metal mixing bowl combine 1 cup of sugar and 6 room temperature egg whites, place over simmering water.
Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture is very thin and warm about 10 minutes.
Remove bowl from heat and transfer to an electric mixer bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and continue to beat until cool, about 15 minutes more.
Meanwhile, place 4 ounces of white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and stir occasionally until melted.
Set aside to cool.
Cut 4 sticks of soft but cool butter into 1/2 inch pieces, beat into egg whites at low speed. The mixture may curdle before coming together.
Gradually beat in the melted and cooled white chocolate.
Slowly stir in 4 tablespoons of maraschino cherry syrup (you can add a bit of pink food coloring if desired).
Re-beat occasionally to maintain a smooth texture.
Pipe onto each cooled cupcake with your desired piping tip.
Drain a 10 oz jar of maraschino cherries with stems and dry gently with paper towels.
In a small bowl add a very small amount of edible pink glitter (I used a pink rose color) and roll each cherry around to coat in the glitter.
You can find edible glitter online or in specialty baking stores, I purchased mine here: BAKELL Edible Glitter.
Place one cherry on top of each cupcake.
Keep refrigerated and bring slightly to room temperature before eating.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Chop 1 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries so that you have about 3/4 cup. Place on a plate lined with a few paper towels and set aside to drain.
In a medium-sized bowl sift together 2 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream 1 cup of room temperature butter on medium speed for 1 minute, then add 1 ½ cups granulated sugar and continue to mix until light and fluffy.
Reduce speed to medium-low and add in 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and 2 large-whole room temperature eggs, one at a time.
Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in between adding the eggs.
Whisk together ⅔ cup of room temperature buttermilk, and ⅓ cup maraschino cherry syrup from the bottle and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the chopped maraschino cherries and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour; set aside.
Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture followed with the cherry buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients mixing to combine between each addition (you can add a bit of pink food coloring if desired).
Transfer batter to a large bowl and set aside.
Clean and thoroughly dry the mixing bowl.
In the clean mixing bowl whisk 4 large room temperature egg whites on high until medium-firm peaks form.
With a rubber spatula fold the chopped cherries into the batter.
Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites until combined. Continue to fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is smooth.
Fill each cupcake mold about 2/3 full.
Bake for about 20 minutes to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Cool completely.
Baste each cooled cupcake with a small amount of maraschino syrup. This will keep the cupcakes from drying out.
In a large metal mixing bowl combine 1 cup of sugar and 6 room temperature egg whites, place over simmering water.
Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture is very thin and warm about 10 minutes.
Remove bowl from heat and transfer to an electric mixer bowl and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form about 5 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and continue to beat until cool, about 15 minutes more.
Meanwhile, place 4 ounces of white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and stir occasionally until melted.
Set aside to cool.
Cut 4 sticks of soft but cool butter into 1/2 inch pieces, beat into egg whites at low speed. The mixture may curdle before coming together.
Gradually beat in the melted and cooled white chocolate.
Slowly stir in 4 tablespoons of maraschino cherry syrup (you can add a bit of pink food coloring if desired).
Re-beat occasionally to maintain a smooth texture.
Pipe onto each cooled cupcake with your desired piping tip.
Drain a 10 oz jar of maraschino cherries with stems and dry gently with paper towels.
In a small bowl add a very small amount of edible pink glitter (I used a pink rose color) and roll each cherry around to coat in the glitter.
You can find edible glitter online or in specialty baking stores, I purchased mine here: BAKELL Edible Glitter.
Place one cherry on top of each cupcake.
Keep refrigerated and bring slightly to room temperature before eating.