Chocolate Dipped Cherry Cupcakes

I think we all know that chocolate makes just about everything better. #truestory

Take these cupcakes for example: sure cherry and vanilla cake are already pretty close to perfection. Paint a little chocolate on top of a cupcake and top with a chocolate dipped cherry and *hello absolute perfection*. 

These pretty little treats can also be made as a 9 X 9 cake instead but the cupcakes are just so darn cute, how can you resist? 

P.S. - Recipe can easily be doubled. 

Chocolate Dipped Cherry Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 cup butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup blended cherries

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh cherries, finely chopped

Chocolate layer

3/4 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

Cherry Buttercream

1 cup butter, room temp

4 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup cherry jam

Chocolate Dipped Cherries

16 fresh cherries, stems attached

remaining melted dark chocolate chips from the chocolate layer

Directions

Prepare cupcakes - Preheat oven to 350. Line 16 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in sugar. Once sugar is fully incorporated, beat in egg and vanilla and almond extract. Stir in the blended cherries. 

Alternately beat the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet ingredients. Lastly, stir in the chopped cherries.

Scoop batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 

Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Once cupcakes are cooled completely, either dip the top of the cupcake in the melted chocolate OR use the back of a spoon to spread about 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of melted chocolate on top. Let sit until chocolate sets.

Once chocolate has set, prepare buttercream.

Prepare buttercream - In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until smooth. Lastly, beat in the cherry jam.

Note - If frosting is to thin, add a bit more icing sugar OR let frosting sit in fridge to harden up a bit, if it is too thick, beat in a few spoonfuls of milk. 

Pipe or spoon the frosting on to the cupcakes.

Prepare chocolate dipped cherries - Dip the cherries halfway into the remaining melted chocolate, Let sit on a piece of plastic wrap until chocolate sets up. Place one cherry on top of each cupcake.

Chill until ready to serve. 

So pretty.... and not just on the outside....

Look at that moist vanilla cake flecked with pretty pink cherry pieces. 

*eeeee* so purdy. 

Turn a regular vanilla cupcake into something *spectacular* with a few simple ingredients. You'll have your guests lining up for more. 

Be sure to visit Carole's Chatter for some fun links!