Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Real Cherry Frosting

Does anything say love through baked goods like chocolate?!  Chocolate has become the sweet ingredient to express love through food over time.  Chocolate together with the tart and sweet flavor of cherries on top gives you a sweet and special cupcake. These double chocolate cupcakes with real cherry frosting made from scratch will be sure to express your affection to those partaking in this chocolatey indulgence. They’re great for any special occasion, not just Valentine’s Day.

Double Chocolate Decadence

I do love chocolate like the majority of other women in the world, but in moderation.  If I want to serve it as a treat or indulge in the dark delicious goodness of it, I want the good stuff.  My latest love in baking and cooking is Organic Cacao Powder.  That’s right, cacao with two “a’s” not two “o’s.”  It’s the unprocessed form of cocoa.   It’s what chocolate is really made out of; the unsweetened true base of chocolate which still contains all the beneficial nutrients chocolate is known for.  Cacao is especially great as a healthy ingredient, like in smoothies and other raw recipes.

If you do not have cacao, it can be replaced with unsweetened cocoa powder which I use in this recipe.  If I’m using cocoa, I prefer a dutch processed cocoa which is a bit darker and has a more fudge-like taste.  It gives it an extra dark look and maximizes the chocolate flavor you’re looking for.

Cupcake Crazy

Cupcakes used to be mostly kids’ sweet treats, but in recent years they’ve become quite popular with adult crowds.  They’re now the posh treat to bring to work parties or even as a alternative to birthday cakes.  You can pay on average $2-4 per cupcake in a bakery or boutique cupcake shop for such tasty beauties. As always, being a mom of 3 boys, and a 4th big boy in the house, I’d much rather spend my time making them from scratch for others than spend that for store bought, with lesser quality ingredients.  This is where making them with love comes into the mix as your own special ingredient.

Real Cherry Frosting

If you have read some of my other posts, you know I always prefer the “au naturel” approach to food.  Why use chemicals like food coloring to color food when you’ve got got old fashioned real fruit to help color your gastronomic palette.  I think real and truly natural is so much more gorgeous and tastes way better.

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Give these Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Real Cherry Frosting a try and let me know below how they turn out for you.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Real Cherry Frosting

Katia

This recipe makes 12 standard sized double chocolate cupcakes plus 1 8" pie pans worth of muffin mix for small shapes which are optional. If not making the small shapes you can make 14-16 muffins.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 cupcakes

Calories 463 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Cupcakes (and small cut out muffin shapes-*optional)

• 1-8 oz. stick unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 Tbsp fine ground coffee optional
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup cocoa I usually use dutch processed cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• paper muffin liners
• olive oil spray
• *Optional- powdered sugar if making shapes atop cupcakes.

Real Cherry Frosting

• 8 oz. softened cream cheese
• 8 oz. softened butter room temperature, not melted
• 1.5 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• heaping 1/2 cup frozen cherries thawed and liquid well squeezed out

Tools and pans needed

• 1-2 standard sized cupcake pans
• food processor or hand held blender
• 12-18 paper muffin liners

*Optional if making Shapes atop Cupcakes

• 1- 8 " pie pan preferable glass, but other ok.
• Sifter for powdered sugar
• small 1/2 " cookie cutter shapes of choice (I used a heart "x" and "o" for these in recipe pictures.

Instructions

 

To Make Cupcakes (and Shapes if doing so)

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Add all sugar, butter and instant coffee to mixing bowl and beat till well creamed.
• Add milk and vanilla, then eggs (one at a time) and mix well on low speed till combined, scraping sides as needed.
• In a separate bowl add dry ingredients: Cocoa through flour and whisk to combine.
• Slowly add cocoa and flour mixture to mixing bowl (about 1/4 cup at a time) and mix at low speed till no more flour visible and no lumps in mixture.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Add paper liners to cupcake pans and spray thin mist of oil over pan and liners.
• Line bottom of 8 " pie pan with parchment paper and spray sides with oil.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups about 2/3 full and 8" pie pan about 1/4 inch on bottom, spreading out batter with spatula to edges if need be.
• Bake muffin pan about 13-15 mins (check at 12 mins) or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. 8 inch pan bakes 10-11 mins or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
• Let cupcakes cool slightly on wire racks 5-10 mins before removing from pan.
• Then let cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

To Make Frosting

• Blend or process all ingredients. (Make sure your cherries are well squeezed as mentioned above. Too much juice will make your frosting too runny.
• *Note- If your frosting is too soft from a warm climate, place the frosting in the freezer about 5 mins just to cool more for better frosting of cupcake tops.

To Decorate Cupcakes

• Use a ziplock baggie with a hole cut out of corner or an actual cake decorating kit with a wide opening tip to swirl on your frosting.
• If making small cupcake topping shapes, 1st flip out your thin cake like pie shape onto a plate. Cut out your shapes with your little cookie cutters. Dust the shapes with powdered sugar with a sifter.
• Top your cupcakes with your shapes atop the frosting, pressing them down a little to set them into the frosting.
• Present your creations and enjoy!

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information provided is only an estimate based on a third party nutritional plugin. Different online calculators may give different results depending on their own sources. The estimates may also change based on the ingredients you use. If you have dietary restrictions and need to accurately calculate the nutrition of this recipe, Whole Made Living recommends consulting a professional nutritionist.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 463kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 351mgPotassium: 214mgFiber: 2gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 870IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Baking, Cherry, chocolate, cupcakes, Valentine's

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