Fresh & Moist Cherry Cupcakes with Homemade Cherry Buttercream: Your Perfect Summer Treat!
These Fresh and Moist Cherry Cupcakes are an absolute delight, embodying the essence of summer in every bite! Crafted with an abundance of sweet, fresh cherries, these fluffy cupcakes offer a wonderful balance of sweet and subtly tart flavors. They are generously crowned with a luscious, homemade maraschino cherry buttercream frosting, creating an irresistible treat that’s perfect for any occasion. This carefully developed recipe yields 12 perfectly portioned, flavorful cherry cupcakes, guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
As a trained pastry chef, I am constantly inspired to explore innovative ways to incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients into my baking, and cherries are undoubtedly a favorite. These fresh cherry cupcakes have quickly become a staple in my kitchen, proving to be an undeniable winner. They strike a perfect balance between simplicity, incredible flavor, and ease of preparation, making them accessible even for novice bakers. The joy of baking with vibrant, in-season cherries is truly unmatched, and this recipe highlights their natural sweetness beautifully.
The foundation of these delightful cupcakes is my tried-and-true classic homemade vanilla cupcake recipe, thoughtfully adapted with the delightful addition of fresh cherry pieces. This creates a wonderfully moist and tender crumb that perfectly complements the fruit. For those who love to experiment, imagine the possibilities: you could even adapt my chocolate cupcakes by folding in cherries to create a delightful dessert reminiscent of classic black forest cake! The versatility of a good cupcake base allows for endless creative variations.
However, the experience doesn’t end with the cake itself. The star topping, our incredibly smooth and flavorful cherry buttercream frosting, is truly what elevates these cupcakes to an extraordinary level. This luscious frosting is meticulously crafted with rich unsalted butter, fine powdered sugar, and the unique, sweet tang of maraschino cherry juice. It’s designed to be the absolute perfect complement, enhancing the natural cherry flavors within the cupcake and adding a vibrant touch.
The maraschino cherry juice is a secret weapon in this frosting; it not only imparts a beautiful, delicate pink hue but also infuses the buttercream with an unmistakable sweet cherry flavor. Unlike fresh fruit, which can introduce too much moisture and compromise the frosting’s stability and texture, maraschino juice provides concentrated flavor and color without any of the drawbacks. In this instance, its unique properties make it an absolutely perfect ingredient for achieving that ideal creamy, flavorful frosting.
Cherries are typically in their peak season from May through August, making these fresh cherry cupcakes the ideal summer indulgence. There’s nothing quite like baking with seasonal produce to capture the freshest flavors. If you find yourself with an abundance of these delightful berries, I highly recommend exploring other cherry-centric desserts such as these rich black forest brownies, a scrumptious cherry coffee cake, or this heavenly cherry cheesecake. Each offers a unique way to savor the sweet goodness of cherries!
If you’re particularly fond of the bright, sweet flavor profile that maraschino cherries bring, you might also love these equally delightful pineapple upside-down cupcakes! They offer a similar vibrant, nostalgic charm, perfect for adding a touch of sunshine to your dessert table.
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THESE CHERRY CUPCAKES TODAY
- A fantastic way to utilize fresh, in-season cherries, celebrating their natural peak flavor and vibrant color. Using seasonal ingredients not only tastes better but often supports local growers and enhances your baking experience.
- These cupcakes are renowned for their incredibly moist texture, light and fluffy crumb, and the perfect balance of sweet and tart notes from the fresh cherries. Every bite is a harmonious blend of flavors and sensations.
- The homemade cherry buttercream frosting, crafted with sweet maraschino cherry juice, is exceptionally delicious and smooth. It’s so good, you might just find yourself wanting to enjoy it straight off the spoon!
- This recipe is perfectly suited for a variety of summer gatherings, whether it’s a casual potluck, a lively BBQ, or simply when you’re yearning for a refreshing and fruity dessert to brighten your day. They are easy to transport and always a hit!
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS FOR CHERRY CUPCAKES
- All-Purpose Flour: This foundational dry ingredient is crucial for providing the necessary structure to your cupcakes. It acts as the backbone, binding all the other baking components together to form a cohesive and consistent cupcake batter.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These two powerful leavening agents work in tandem to give the cupcakes their characteristic rise and ensure they become wonderfully light and fluffy. Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients, while baking powder provides an initial lift and sustained rise.
- Salt: A small but mighty ingredient, salt plays a vital role in activating the leavening agents, baking soda and baking powder. It also deftly contrasts and balances the sweet flavors in the cupcake, preventing them from being overly saccharine.
- Unsalted Butter: Essential for both texture and flavor, unsalted butter contributes significantly to a moist, rich, and dense texture in the cake base. Its creamy fat content also infuses the cupcakes with a luxurious, buttery flavor. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature for optimal creaming.
- Granulated Sugar: This provides the primary sweetness to the cupcake base. When creamed with butter, it helps to create air pockets, contributing to a light texture, and its sweetness perfectly complements the natural tartness of the cherries.
- Egg & Egg White: The whole egg adds richness, moisture, and helps emulsify the batter, while the additional egg whites contribute to a lighter, more tender crumb and help the cupcakes set properly during baking, giving them a lovely structure.
- Vanilla Extract: A classic and indispensable flavor enhancer, vanilla extract adds a warm, aromatic depth that beautifully complements and rounds out the overall flavor profile of the cherry cupcakes, without overpowering the fruit.
- Buttermilk: This acidic ingredient is key to creating a more tender and moist crumb in the cupcakes. Its acidity reacts with the baking soda, contributing to a better rise, and its subtle tang adds a pleasant complexity to the wet batter.
- Fresh Cherries: The undisputed star of this recipe! Fresh cherries add a stunning natural red color and a burst of authentic, sweet-tart cherry flavor and juicy sweetness. Choosing ripe, firm cherries will make all the difference in taste and texture.
- Garnish: For an elegant and appetizing finish, you can adorn these cupcakes with either additional fresh cherries or vibrant maraschino cherries, adding a final touch of beauty and hinting at the delicious flavor within.
Cherry Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: As the primary component of the frosting, softened unsalted butter is crucial for achieving a smooth, creamy, and rich texture. It also provides the foundational buttery flavor that makes buttercream so irresistible. Discover how to soften butter quickly for best results.
- Confectioners Sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this fine sugar is blended with the butter to thicken the frosting to its ideal pipeable consistency. It also imparts the essential sweetness required for a balanced and delicious buttercream.
- Maraschino Cherry Juice: This vibrant juice is a game-changer, lending a beautiful bright pink color to the frosting. More importantly, it infuses the buttercream with a distinct, sweet cherry flavor that perfectly complements the fresh cherries in the cupcakes.
- Milk: A small amount of milk is used to adjust the frosting’s consistency, ensuring it’s smooth, creamy, and easy to spread or pipe, without compromising its richness. You can add more or less to achieve your desired texture.
HOW TO MAKE FRESH CHERRY CUPCAKES: STEP-BY-STEP
1. Prepare for baking: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C), ensuring it reaches the correct temperature for even baking. Next, line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, preparing each cavity for the batter. Set this aside as you prepare your ingredients.
2. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, accurately measure and combine your all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix these dry ingredients together, ensuring the leavening agents and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.
3. Cream the butter and sugar: Transfer the softened unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy, usually about a minute. Then, gradually add the granulated sugar and continue mixing for an additional 2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes pale, light, and airy, indicating proper creaming.
4. Add the eggs: Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Add the whole egg and the egg whites to the creamed mixture. Mix on medium speed for one minute, allowing the eggs to fully emulsify into the batter, creating a smooth and cohesive mixture.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, begin adding the dry ingredient mixture in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk in halves. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix just until everything is combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cupcakes.
6. Prepare the cherries: Take your diced, pitted fresh cherries and place them in a small bowl. Sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of flour over them and gently toss to coat each piece. This small but crucial step helps prevent the cherries from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking. Gently fold the floured cherries into the cupcake batter using a rubber spatula.
7. Bake and cool: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, fill each muffin liner approximately three-quarters of the way full with the cherry cupcake batter. Bake for 21-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, indicating they are fully set. Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Crafting the Perfect Cherry Buttercream
1. Cream the butter and sugar: In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the softened unsalted butter and confectioners’ sugar. Start mixing on a low speed to avoid a cloud of sugar, then gradually increase to medium. Continue mixing until the frosting is wonderfully creamy and well combined, which usually takes about 2 minutes.
2. Add the cherry flavor: With the mixer still on low speed, carefully add the maraschino cherry juice and ½ teaspoon of milk. Continue mixing for another minute or two, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the frosting becomes beautifully light, fluffy, and infused with a consistent pink color and sweet cherry flavor.
3. Frost the cupcakes: Once your cupcakes are completely cooled to room temperature, it’s time to decorate! Transfer the cherry buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip for a professional finish. Pipe swirls onto each cupcake, then garnish them with either fresh whole cherries or colorful maraschino cherries for that perfect final touch.
EXPERT TIPS FOR CHERRY CUPCAKE SUCCESS
- Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour excessively, which can result in tough, dense cupcakes. Mix the batter only until the ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour are visible. Overmixing can also cause cupcakes to sink in the oven.
- Let the butter and eggs come to room temperature: This seemingly small step is critical for achieving the best results. Room temperature butter and eggs emulsify much more easily and uniformly with other ingredients, leading to a smoother, more consistent batter and, ultimately, a lighter, more tender cupcake crumb.
- Coat the cherries in flour: This clever trick is essential to prevent your fresh cherry pieces from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake liners during baking. The light coating of flour helps them suspend evenly throughout the batter, ensuring every bite has a delightful cherry surprise. Do not skip this important step!
- Let the cupcakes cool before frosting: Patience is key! It is absolutely imperative to allow the baked cupcakes to cool down completely before you even think about applying the buttercream. Frosting warm cupcakes will cause the delicate buttercream to melt, slide right off, and create a messy, unappetizing result.
- Use a piping bag and star tip: For that gorgeous, professional-looking swirl of cherry buttercream, a piping bag equipped with a large star tip is highly recommended. However, if these tools aren’t available, don’t fret! A simple offset spatula or a knife can also be used to spread the frosting on, creating a charming homemade look.
- Only fill 3/4 full: Resist the urge to overfill your cupcake liners. Filling them more than three-quarters of the way full will likely lead to the batter overflowing the liners during baking, creating unevenly shaped cupcakes and a sticky mess in your muffin tin. Aim for consistency for perfectly domed tops.
Substitutions for Cherries
While fresh cherries offer the best flavor and texture, you do have options for substitutions. You can certainly substitute fresh cherries for frozen or canned cherries, but be mindful that this will generally make the cupcakes taste sweeter due to the added sugar in many processed cherry products. If using frozen, ensure they are thawed and well-drained. For canned cherries, drain thoroughly and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
Yield of the Recipe
This delightful cupcake recipe is carefully scaled to make exactly 12 perfect cherry cupcakes, making it ideal for small gatherings or enjoying throughout the week.
STORAGE AND FREEZING GUIDELINES
Storage: To maintain optimal freshness and taste, frosted cherry cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you need to extend their shelf life, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week, though chilling can slightly alter the frosting’s texture. Unfrosted cupcakes offer a bit more flexibility and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Freezing: For longer-term storage, unfrosted cherry cupcakes freeze exceptionally well. Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container, ensuring they are well-wrapped to prevent freezer burn. They can be stored for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring them to room temperature before applying the delicious cherry buttercream frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I have to use fresh cherries? While I highly recommend fresh cherries for their superior flavor and texture, you absolutely can use frozen or canned cherries as an alternative. The key is to ensure they are properly prepared: thaw frozen cherries thoroughly, drain both frozen and canned cherries extremely well, and then pat them dry. Excess moisture can impact the cupcake batter, so a dry cherry is a happy cherry!
Do you use the actual maraschino cherries in the frosting? For this particular cherry buttercream frosting, I solely utilize the juice from maraschino cherries. The juice provides that lovely pink color and a sweet, concentrated cherry flavor without introducing unwanted moisture or texture from the fruit itself. You can certainly use whole maraschino cherries as a beautiful and tasty garnish on top of the frosted cupcakes if you wish to add an extra pop of color and flavor!
Can I make these into mini cupcakes? Yes, you can easily adapt this recipe to make adorable mini cherry cupcakes! When preparing the cherries, make sure to dice them into very small pieces so they distribute well in the smaller batter portions. Line a mini muffin tray with mini muffin liners and fill each about three-quarters of the way full with batter. Reduce the baking time to approximately 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once cooled, these mini delights can be topped with the same delicious cherry frosting!
MORE DELICIOUS CUPCAKE RECIPES TO EXPLORE
Fresh and Moist Cherry Cupcakes
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Ingredients
Cherry Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour, 207g + 1 tablespoon separated
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (113g) softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200g)
- 1 egg, (50g)
- 2 egg white, (70g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature (118mL)
- ½ lb cherries, pitted and halved.
- 12 cherries, for garnish
Cherry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 227 g
- 4 cups confectioners sugar, 454 g
- 1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
- ½ tsp milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
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In a medium size bowl combine the 1 ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Whisk until combined.
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In the bowl of a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the ½ cup butter for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl and add 1 cup sugar.
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Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
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Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, 2 egg whites and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
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Mix for 1 minute on medium speed.
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Add in 1/3rd of the dry ingredients, then half of the buttermilk and alternate, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
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Mix only until combined. Do not overmix.
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Dust the pitted and diced fresh cherries with the remaining tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter with a spatula.
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Using a 3 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin liners ¾ of the way full.
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Bake for 21-22 minutes or until the cake is set. Cool completely.
Cherry Buttercream Frosting
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the 1 cup butter and 4 cups of confectioners sugar and mix on low speed.
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Mix until creamy, about 2 minutes.
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Add in maraschino cherry juice and ½ tsp milk, and mix again until combined and super fluffy.
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Decorate cupcakes using a piping bag and a large star tip then garnish with fresh or maraschino cherries.
Notes
You can also substitute maraschino cherries but know that the cupcake will be sweeter than usual.