Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes With Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting Food

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Strain maraschino cherries over a large measuring cup. Count out 24 cherries with their stems intact and set aside on paper towels. Remove stems from the remaining cherries and place one in the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
• Stir cherry-flavored brandy into the cherry juice. Add more brandy or water to total 1 1/4 cups liquid. Pour liquid into a bowl.
• Add eggs and oil; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Evenly divide batter among the muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 50 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract and salt; beat for 1 minute more. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin.
• Frost each cupcake and garnish with the reserved cherries.

CHERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar gradually until light and fluffy. Beat in cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches spreading/piping consistency. Beat in cherry preserves and vanilla extract.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove compote from heat and cool completely. Measure out 1 cup for the cupcake batter. Reserve remaining compote, about 6 tablespoons, for the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line or grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour in 1/2 of the sour cream and cooled coffee; mix until just combined.
• Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with sour cream and coffee, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1 cup cherry compote. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cherry buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of cherry compote and beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Repeat twice more with remaining cherry compote, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread or pipe frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, butter, eggs, and cranberry-cherry juice with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on medium. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each prepared muffin cup. Spoon 1 teaspoon cherry pie filling on batter in each cup and top with another 1 tablespoon cupcake batter.
• Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups and cool completely on wire rack.
• For frosting: Place the white baking chips in a medium bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat until nearly boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the white baking chips; stir until completely smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the cream mixture into the white frosting until well mixed; set aside.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the semisweet chocolate chips on medium for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Place the maraschino cherries on paper towels to dry. Dip each dry cherry into melted semisweet chocolate and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet until chocolate hardens.
• Frost each cupcake with white chocolate frosting and top with a chocolate-covered cherry.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine first four ingredients.
• Add chocolate chips and set aside.
• Mix remaining ingredients well.
• Fill muffin tins, lined with paper cups 1/3 to 1/2 full with this mixture.
• Drop a large spoonful of cheese mixture on top.
• Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes.

CHERRY FROSTING

Steps:

• Whip 3 cups powdered sugar and butter together.
• Stir in vanilla, cherry juice (or milk), and cherries.
• Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
• Add more sugar or liquid as necessary.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• mix cake as directed (decreasing the water& oil to above measure).
• stir in 1 can cherry pie filling.
• pour into greased& floured cake pan (batter will be a little thick).
• spread evenly.
• bake 350 deg (as directed) about 45-50min (til knife comes out clean when inserted into center).
• cool completely.
• in bowl, mix frosting& cream cheese til blended.
• spread onto cooled cake.
• top with maraschino cherries (as many as u like).

CHERRY-FILLED CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º F.
• Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Spoon 2 Tbsp. batter into each of 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Top each with 1 cherry; cover with remaining batter.
• Bake 20 to 23 min. or until toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pan to wire racks. Cool completely.
• Microwave chocolate in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until almost melted, stirring every 30 sec.; stir until completely melted. Cool 5 min. Add sugar, cream cheese and vanilla; beat with mixer until blended. Gradually add milk, beating until blended. Spread onto cupcakes.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat the softened butter to a soft and even consistency. Add the orange juice, if using, then the icing sugar. Cream until you have a smooth, soft buttercream consistency.
• Add the cream cheese and work it in - don't beat it in, just slowly mix with a wooden spoon. Depending on how soft the mixture is, you may want to put it in the fridge for 10 mins at this point. If it's runny, it will firm up again. It should be spreadable and not run off the cake.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH FENNEL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• 1. Chop cherries and transfer to a small bowl. Cover in brandy and set aside to plump overnight. 2. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath 3. add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes 4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes 5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each 6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended 7. Fold in cherries drained of the brandy 8. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean Frosting 1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours 2. Heat sugar and water in a small pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved 3. Crush fennel seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a heavy pan on a cutting board 4. Add seeds to the sugar and let boil over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy. Set aside to cool. 5. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment 6. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy 7. Add half of the sugar and the fennel syrup. Beat until combined 8. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like