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Looking for a delicious homemade cherry cupcakes recipe? This pretty, pink cupcakes recipe includes a moist, delicious maraschino cherry cake, topped with cherry cream cheese frosting. The perfect pink cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, birthday party or girl baby shower!
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If you love the flavor and moist texture of homemade cupcakes, these maraschino cherry cupcakes are for you! Made with a simple cake batter that comes together easily in your hand or stand mixer, this pink cupcake recipe is perfect for any occasion.
The cherry cream cheese frosting is delicious and goes wonderfully with the cherry cake. Hand frost or use a piping bag to easily add frosting, and top with a stemmed maraschino cherry for the perfect simple garnish.
What do I need to make cherry cupcakes?
Here’s a quick-reference grocery list of the ingredients you’ll need to make these cupcakes:
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Egg whites
- Vanilla extract
- Cake Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- 1 (10 oz.) jar, maraschino cherries (cherries + the syrup in the jar)
For the Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting, you’ll need:
- 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- 1 (10 oz.) jar, maraschino cherries, with stems + syrup
- Powdered Sugar
- Red food coloring
How do I make cherry cupcakes?
- First, start by mixing your batter. Use either a hand or stand mixer. Begin by creaming together the sugar, oil and egg whites. Mixture will be light and creamy. Then, mix in the vanilla extract. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Measure out your buttermilk and stir in the 3 tbsp. of cherry syrup. With mixer on low speed, gradually pour in the buttermilk mixture to the cake batter.
- Lastly, using a rubber scraper, gently fold in the chopped cherries to the batter.
- Ladle or pour the batter into a lined cupcake pan. Fill cupcakes approximately 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
How do I make frosting for cupcakes?
- Start with room temperature cream cheese and butter. Using your hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together, then add the vanilla extract and cherry syrup. Combine.
- Gradually begin adding the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture one cup at a time. Mixer speed should be on low to keep the powdered sugar in the bowl. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and to continue adding in one cup of powdered sugar at a time.
- Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, the consistency of the frosting will be rather thick. Add in 4-8 drops of the red food coloring and mix into the frosting. Add more to achieve a darker pink color.
- Cupcakes can be frosting by hand using a knife or piped on using a piping bag with your desired tip. Garnish with a stemmed maraschino cherry.
Want to make traditional cream cheese frosting? Check out my post for the Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting! I use this recipe on my Red Velvet Layer Cake at Real Housemoms, my Carrot Cake Sheet Cake and my Red Velvet Sheet Cake.
How do I frost cupcakes?
One of the quickest ways to frost a large number of cupcakes is to use a piping bag, fitted with your desired tip, filled with your frosting. This goes much quicker than manually frosting cupcakes with a knife. It is also less messy and you’re able to use a more accurate amount of frosting per cupcake.
For this cherry cupcakes recipe, I used a Wilton bag, with a coupling attachment and no tip. This creates a thicker 1 cm frosting stream that pipes perfectly onto your cupcakes.
If you loved this pink cupcake recipe, check out some of my other recipes:
Love cherries? Check out some of my other cherry recipes here:
- Cherry Milkshake
- Cherry Crisp with Almond Crumble
- Cream Cheese Cherry Scones
- Cherry Bread Recipe
- Cherry Cobbler with Cake Mix
- Cherry Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt
- Cherry Jello Pretzel Salad
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Very Cherry Cupcakes
Erin Indahl-Fink
Looking for a delicious homemade cherry cupcakes recipe? These pretty pink cupcakes are perfect for Valentine's Day, baby showers, birthday parties or any other occasion where only pink will do!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Additional Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cupcakes
Calories 350 kcal
Equipment
Cupcake Pan This Wilton Non-Stick Cupcake Pan is fantastic for cupcakes and muffins.
Stand Mixer My KitchenAid Stand Mixer is fantastic for making cakes and cupcakes!
Frosting Bags and Tips This Wilton Cake Decorating Set includes tips, bags and more. Such a great price, too!
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons reserved cherry syrup from jar of cherries
- 1 (10 oz. jar) maraschino cherries finely chopped
For Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry syrup reserved, from jar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 1/2 – 6 cups powdered sugar
- 4-8 drops red food coloring
- 1 (10 oz. jar) maraschino cherries with stems
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line (2) 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Set prepared pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl with a stand or hand mixer, on low, cream together the sugar and oil until fluffy. While still on low, gradually add the egg whites one at a time. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer is on low, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Batter will be smooth and creamy.
Measure out the buttermilk and add the cherry syrup to the buttermilk. Stir. While mixer is on low, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the batter.
Using a rubber scraper, fold in the chopped cherries just until evenly dispersed into the batter.
Pour or ladle the batter into the lined cupcake pan. Fill each cupcake nearly 3/4 full.
Bake the cupcakes (both pans can go into the oven at the same time) at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean and crumb free. Let cupcakes cool to room temperature.
While cupcakes are cooling, mix the frosting. With a clean bowl and stand or hand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese. Add the cherry syrup and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Do this slowly, so the powdered sugar stays in the bowl. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl and add more powdered sugar. Once all the powdered sugar is added frosting consistency will be thick and creamy.
Add in a few drops of red food coloring to achieve your desired pink color – add more to achieve a darker pink color.
Frost the cooled cupcakes with a knife or piping bag with your desired tip. Top each cupcake with a stemmed maraschino cherry.
Notes
For storing: Cupcakes will keep best in an airtight container, refrigerated. Cupcakes can stay out at room temperature, but will only keep for 2-3 days. Refrigerated will keep for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 182mgSugar: 18g
Keyword cherry cupcakes, pink cupcakes recipe, cherry cupcakes recipe
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