Cherry Chocolate Vanilla Cupcakes
These Cherry Chocolate Vanilla Cupcakes have it all–a soft and moist vanilla cake, a dark chocolate ganache filling, and a sweet and tart fresh cherry buttercream frosting. Yields: 24 cupcakes
Servings
24cupcakes
Cook Time
20-22minutes
Servings
24cupcakes
Cook Time
20-22minutes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
Dark Chocolate Ganache
Cherry Buttercream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
  3. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer on low and add the eggs, a little at a time, mixing until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
  5. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer (or set down your hand mixer) and sift about 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the batter making sure to circle around the bowl and then pull through the center. Gently fold in 2 Tbsp of Greek yogurt and repeat the sifting and folding process with the second 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Add in the another 2 Tbsp of Greek yogurt. Fold in the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients until just combined. Add in another 1-2 Tbsp of Greek yogurt. You should be left with a batter that drops off the spatula with a slight shake.
  6. Using a large ice cream scoop, fill each well of the pan about 3/4 of the way full/just below the top of the liner. You should end up with 24 cupcakes.
  7. Bake on the center rack for 20-22 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back slightly to the touch or a toothpick into the center comes out with just one or two crumbs. Remove from the oven and transfer the warm cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
  1. Put the chopped pieces of chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small pan, warm the cream until it just begins to scald/simmer. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Give the bowl a shake to evenly distribute the cream and let sit for about 1-2 minutes. Starting at the center, stir from the center out, until the chocolate is all melted and smooth. Stir in the cold butter until it melts. Set aside until the ganache firms up a bit and cools down.
  3. Once the cupcakes and the ganache have cooled, use an apple corer, knife, or the bottom of a piping tip to cut a hole into the center of the cupcake. You don’t want to cut all the way to the bottom–go just about 2/3 of the way down. Remove the center from the cakes and save as snacking cake for later.
  4. Spoon the ganache into the center of the cupcake, filling it to the top.
Cherry Buttercream
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium high for about 3-5 minutes until smooth. Turn the mixer down to low and add the powdered sugar, 150 grams at a time, mixing until fully incorporated and smooth between each addition. Mix in the salt and the vanilla. Slowly, a little at a time, add in the chopped cherries and any additional juices. Once everything is in the bowl, turn the mixer up to high and beat until you have a smooth and creamy buttercream.*
  2. Pipe or spread the buttercream over the filled cupcakes. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Recipe Notes

*If the frosting is a bit too soft, place the bowl in the fridge and let cool until it firms up a bit. Just remove from the fridge and give it a good whip with the mixer using the whisk attachment.

**Sometimes, if you add the cherries too fast, it might cause the frosting to split. Add 1-2 Tbsp of shortening, mixing them in one at a time, and it should bring the buttercream back to life.

**This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. If I only need a dozen, I let of all the cupcakes cool, individually wrap them in plastic, then store them in an airtight container in the freezer. You can also freeze the ganache and frosting for another day.

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