Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 cups tart cherries

  plus more for topping (see note)
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons kirsch

  optional (see note)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 drops almond extract
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cups (155g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup (119ml) buttermilk
• ½ cup (119ml) hot water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese softened
• 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (474ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• Chocolate shavings

  for garnish

Instructions

• 1 Pick out 12 cherries that look the best, reserve for decoration.
• 2 Place cherries in a medium saucepan and add sugar. Cook over medium heat,
  partially covered, for about 8-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the
  mixture is slightly thickened, and cherries are soft.
• 3 Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and almond extracts and kirsch, if using.
  Transfer to a bowl and cool until room temperature before filling cupcakes.
• 4 Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pans with liners or grease and flour cake
  pan(s).
• 5 Whisk together sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a
  large bowl. Set aside.
• 6 Whisk oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in a large measuring cup or bowl.
• 7 Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Whisk in hot
  water. Batter will be thin.
• 8 Divide into cupcake pans lined with cupcake liners (about ¼ cup per cupcake).
  Bake approximately 12-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the
  center. Cool completely before frosting.
• 9 Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and thick using a
  hand or a stand mixer (use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer).
• 10 While mixing on medium-high speed, slowly add the heavy whipping cream. Continue
  whipping until the frosting forms stiff peaks. It’ll resemble whipped cream but
  be thicker.
• 11 Cut out a bit of the center of each cupcake. Fill with filling. Replace part of
  the cupcake.
• 12 Frost with whipped cream frosting.
• 13 Top with a reserved cherry, some juices from the compote, and some chocolate
  shavings.

Nutrition Info