chocolate cherry cupcakes

You may have noticed by now that I have a slight obsession with cupcakes. If you haven’t, heres the 411…I have a slight obsession with cupcakes. They are just sooo good!! soft amazing cake that is flavoured with various essences and then topped with…oh gosh…butter icing.

Butter icing may be the most amazing food in the whole entire world. It comes in a multitude of colours (and flavours) and it can be piped or spread and when you swipe it off the top of a cupcake onto your finger..ahh getting carried away.

Anyways, butter icing = heavenly.

Unfortunately, I am yet to master butter icing. However, I can make a wikid cupcake. Tonight I decided that the tin of cherries in my pantry would be used. I was going to make a cherry clafoutis, but the obsession drew me to cherry cupcakes. But why not make it better by adding chocolate?? Had to experiment a bit, coz I didn’t have the right ingredients (yet again) but they still tasted great.

Note: the benefit of me experimenting is that it means its stuff I have in my pantry…therefore stuff you will probably have in yours!!!

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (sift = good idea if you don’t want to mix forever)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tspn baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 c dark choc chips (i decided it would be a good idea to add these. optional. but def a good option!)
¾ cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (about 100g)
1 cup drained tinned cherries (bit less than one tin)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cherry juice (keep the juice from the tinned cherries)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line muffin tray with muffin cases. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and choc chips. Drain cherries, saving the juice. In another smaller bowl, mix melted butter, cherries, sugar, vanilla essence and juice. Mix well. (I gave the cherries a bit of a smash with a spoon. Word of warning, don’t eat this coz it tastes sooo good and you wont have any leftover). Pour half the wet mix into the dry, combine well. Add the rest of the wet mix, stir well. Spoon batter into muffin tray (about 2 tbspns to a case). Place in oven for about 20 min. Top with frosting.

Chocolate frosting

I just mixed quantities of butter, cocoa and icing sugar till it looked edible and thick enough to spread. But, here is the frosting recipe that I was supposed to use!

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup cocoa sifter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp chooclate cream liqueur
1 tbsp strong brewed coffee or milk
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together. Use a beater to make fluffier icing (and for ease). Spread or pipe on cupcakes

Tips:

Use leftover tinned cherries as decorations for cupcakes
Alternately, use sprinkles or drizzle melted dark chocolate overtop...mmmm

Notes:

I hereby promise to get better at taking photos.