Cherry Almond Cupcakes

In my home, when someone pops the lid off of a jar of maraschino cherries, it’s safe to assume that there’s a bowl of ice-cream nearby in need of a topping. At least that was the case before I baked and tasted these mouth-watering cherry almond cupcakes.

In this cupcake recipe, chunks of maraschino cherries team up with LorAnn Oils Cherry Flavoring to create a delicate cherry taste that pairs perfectly with fluffy almond buttercream frosting.

To keep this recipe simple I started with a box of white cake mix. To ensure the cupcakes tasted tickle-your-tastebuds amazing, I completely ignored the directions on the cake box. Instead I turned to the “Master Recipes” section of my Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! cookbook and used the tricks for making a boxed cake mix taste homemade.

Cherry Almond Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream

Yield: 24 regular cupcakes

Cherry Almond Cupcakes with Almond Buttercream

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix

1 c buttermilk

1/2 c vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 tsp almond flavoring

1/4 tsp buttery sweet dough flavoring (optional)

1/4 tsp cherry flavoring

1 c maraschino cherries, roughly chopped

For the buttercream:

1 c salted butter, room temperature

1 c shortening

2 tsp almond flavoring

1/2 tsp buttery sweet dough flavoring (optional)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 lbs powdered sugar

6 to 8 tbsp. milk

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, and eggs.

Mix in the almond, buttery sweet dough, and cherry flavoring.

Beat on low until moist (about 30 seconds).

Increase mixing speed to high until mixture thickens (about 2 minutes).

Fold in the cherries.

Evenly divide the batter into 24 cupcake liners, filling 3/4 of the liner.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Test cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. Remove the cupcakes from the oven when the toothpick comes out clean.

Let cupcake pan sit on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on the rack until completely cooled.

For the buttercream:

Beat butter until soft and creamy.

Add shortening and beat a couple minutes on medium.

Mix in the almond flavoring, buttery sweet dough flavoring, and vanilla extract.

Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined. Repeat until all sugar is blended into the mixture.

Increase the mixer's speed to high and slowly mix in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

http://sugarkissed.net/cherry-almond-cupcakes/

This cupcake recipe has made it onto my list of favorites. The moist cake and fluffy frosting combined with hidden bursts of color and flavor make it a unique crowd-pleaser.

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3 Responses to Cherry Almond Cupcakes

Carlee says:

May 12 at 4:41 pm

We usually save our marschino cherries for the “whipped cream and cherry on top” too. Or chocolate covered cherries at Christmas. But these look like a great use for them. We’ll have to try cherry cake!
Carlee recently posted..Donna’s Chocolate Cheesecake (with a heartfelt twist!)

- Janine says:
  
  May 14 at 11:04 am
  
  Chocolate covered cherries sound awesome! I hope you enjoy these cherry almond cupcakes as much as I did, Carlee!
  
Gaby Zepeda says:

July 2 at 9:04 pm

Finally was able to make these!! I loved them. My buttercream turn out lighter but maybe cause I used clear vanilla. It was yummy! Thank you for sharing.