Black Forest Cupcakes

The cherry trees in Atlanta are in full bloom this week.  They are absolutely breathtaking.  Every Spring I ask myself, "Why don't I have a cherry tree planted in my yard?"  This is the year - I am going to plant a yoshino cherry tree in 2025.  Lucky for me, I have neighbors with some pretty great cherry trees that I can enjoy until I get mine planted. 

You have to admit - these trees are pretty incredible right now. 

Seeing all of the amazing cherry trees this week had me thinking about cherry cupcakes.  It only seems logical that I would bake a black cherry filled chocolate cupcake with cherry buttercream while the cherry blossoms are in bloom. 

Black Forest Cupcakes
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup plus 4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter. melted
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup hot water

Filling
10 ounce bag frozen dark pitted cherries
4 Tablespoons sugar

Cherry Buttercream
10 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
40-48 Tablespoons butter

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in bowl.

In another bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and butter.

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add hot water and mix until combined.

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Divide batter between paper lined jumbo sized cupcake pans.  (I made 13 cupcakes from this batter.)

Bake 24 minutes at 350.  Cool on wire racks.

While cupcakes cool, prepare cherry filling.  Combine cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan. 

Cook on low heat until thickened and syrupy.

Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

Use a cupcake corer to cut a hole in the center of each cupcake.

Fill each hole with a Tablespoon of cherry filling.  Reserve 12 cherries and extra cherry juice.

Prepare a batch of cherry buttercream using reserved cherry juice to flavor buttercream.

Pipe cherry buttercream onto filled cupcakes.

I think I could sit down and eat a bowl of the black cherry filling - all by itself.  (Seriously, it's that good.)  It's really good inside of a rich, dark chocolate cupcake though too.  I love the  combination of the chocolate cake, the sweet cherry filling and the smooth creamy buttercream.  I hope you like it too.

Ciao.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe