Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

Today is my husband’s birthday! For about 99% of the birthdays in our family, I make the cakes or cupcakes from scratch. My husband does usually buy a cake for my birthday, unless I insist on making it. He has offered to try and make one, but I don’t believe that he’s ever baked anything from scratch before. Or from a box for that matter. Making a cake for my son is always a tough one. He’s really not a fan of cake. Like how does that happen?! MY SON DOESN’T LIKE CAKE? It’s hard for me to cope with sometimes. If he does eat cake, his favorite is a peanut butter-chocolate flavor combo. One year, I made him buckeyes for his birthday and he was over the moon. 

So let’s get to these Cherry Chip cupcakes. I first made these cupcakes for my mom’s 60th birthday. I also made a double-chocolate cupcake for the kids and anyone else who wasn’t necessarily fond of cherry chip, but these ended up stealing the show. My husband had no idea what cherry chip cupcakes even were  and then he tasted one and now he has requested them for HIS birthday! 

The recipe for the cake portion is from Melissa at Bless this Mess. I really didn’t make any major changes to the recipe besides adding an extra tablespoon of cherry juice and I topped the cupcakes with my own recipe of a cherry buttercream to put them over the top. The cakes come out soft and perfectly moist. It really is a fabulous cake recipe. 

Print Recipe

Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

Slightly adapted from Melissa at Bless this Mess.

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cook Time

15 Minutes

Servings

Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cherry Chip Cupcakes

• 10 oz Jar Maraschino Cherries

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 4 Large Egg Whites
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Tsp Almond Extract
• 2 Cups AP Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
• 3 TBSP Cherry Juice from the jar

Cherry Buttercream

• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 4 TBSP Maraschino Cherry Juice
• 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
• 1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt
• 5-6 Cups Confectioner's Sugar
• Red or Pink Dye, optional
• Sprinkle and Maraschino Cherries, for topping

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 15 Minutes Servings Cupcakes Ingredients Cherry Chip Cupcakes 10 oz Jar Maraschino Cherries 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar 4 Large Egg Whites 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1/4 Tsp Almond Extract 2 Cups AP Flour 2 Tsp Baking Powder 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda 1/2 Tsp Salt 1 1/3 Cup Buttermilk 3 TBSP Cherry Juice from the jar Cherry Buttercream 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened 4 TBSP Maraschino Cherry Juice 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract 1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract Pinch of Salt 5-6 Cups Confectioner's Sugar Red or Pink Dye, optional Sprinkle and Maraschino Cherries, for topping

Instructions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pan with liners.

1. Drain the maraschino cherries and reserve the juice for later. Dice the cherries into small pieces.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating in between.
3. Add vanilla and almond extracts and stir until combined.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
5. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and the cherry juice.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mix to the mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk-cherry juice and mix until combined. Then add the other 1/3 of flour, then other half of buttermilk and ending with the last third of the flour. Mix after each addition.
7. Remove bowl from stand and stir in the chopped cherry pieces by hand.
8. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cake is done and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing. Move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Buttercream:

1. Add softened butter to the bowl of a mixing stand. Beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the cherry juice, vanilla and almond extract and pinch of salt.
2. Add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, mixing between each addition until you reach your desired consistency. Should be about 4 cups.
3. Add the optional dye if you would like a more "cherry" colored icing.
4. Pipe buttercream onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles (I used a pink-red-white combo sprinkle) and a maraschino cherry.

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