My girlfriends and I love to picnic when the weather is pretty, and since we all share a love for sweets I make sure to bring along a cupcake-keeper full of their favorites. Cherry chip is the most popular in our group, and they’re just as cheerful in appearance as they are in taste.
I love making these for birthday parties and showers, too. Their pretty pink hue makes them perfect for any girly get-together. This recipe is versatile too—you can also bake the batter in a 9-inch cake pan and it will be just as moist and delicious as the cupcake version.
The cake recipe is scratch-made, but the icing provides a sweet shortcut. It’s made with delicious Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla frosting.
To get started, you’ll notice that the recipe’s ingredient list calls for two egg whites stiffly beaten. You’ll simply place two egg whites in a medium bowl and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until the egg whites thicken, and when the beaters are lifted from the bowl the whites will be pulled into standing peaks. Do this first, and set the beaten whites aside for later use.
Next, chop the cherries. This can be done with a cutting board and large chef’s knife, or you can place the cherries in a food processor and pulse two or three times in quick bursts. Pour the cherries into a paper towel-lined bowl to drain slightly while you prepare the batter.
Have a muffin tin (or two if you have them) lined with cupcake papers.
Cream together butter and sugar until well mixed.
Mix flour and milk mixture in alternately and then add pink food coloring. The batter will be thick. Gently fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula.
Fold in chopped cherries until evenly dispersed. It’s okay if they still have a little juice on them when they’re incorporated into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the cupcake papers about 3/4 full. I like to measure batter by the level 1/4 cup so all the cupcakes are uniform in size.
The baked cupcakes should be firm to the touch, and just barely brown around the edges.
With Betty Crocker Whipped Vanilla Frosting, the cherry topping comes together in a snap. I used a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to frost these, but when I’m not in the mood to get out my decorator box, I simply smooth the icing on with an off-set spatula.
Don’t forget the cherry on top!
Ingredients
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Cupcakes
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1jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained, liquid reserved
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2cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
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1tablespoon baking powder
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1/4teaspoon salt
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1/2cup unsalted butter
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1 1/4cups sugar
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1/2cup maraschino cherry liquid
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1/4cup whole milk
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2teaspoons almond extract
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Pink food color
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2egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
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Topping and Garnish
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2tubs (12 oz) Betty Crocker™ Whipped Vanilla Frosting
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Reserved 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
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1teaspoon almond extract
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Pink food color
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18maraschino cherries with stems
Directions
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1Heat oven to 350°F. Line 18 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups; set aside.
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2Finely chop cherries with large chef’s knife. Place chopped cherries in paper towel-lined bowl to drain while preparing batter.
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3In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
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4In glass measuring cup, stir together 1/2 cup cherry liquid, the milk and 2 teaspoons almond extract.
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5Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in a few drops of food color until desired pink color is achieved. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in chopped cherries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
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6Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched in center. Remove from muffin cups to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
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7To make Topping, spoon frosting into bowl with 1 tablespoon cherry liquid. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract and enough food color for desired pink color; beat 2 minutes with electric mixer on medium speed. If desired, transfer topping to decorating bag fitted with large star tip; pipe topping onto cupcakes in large swirls. Or, spread topping on cupcakes with off-set spatula. Garnish each cupcake with 1 cherry with stem.
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