Ingredients
- Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
- (makes 24-27 standard sized cupcakes)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available)
- 1 cup boiling water
- Maraschino Cherry Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
- pinch of salt
Preparation
Step 1
First, bake a batch of chocolate cupcakes. I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, but feel free to use any recipe or box mix you prefer. The only special instructions would be to make sure to fill the liners just a bit more than you might normally (about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner), because you need to have a bit of a dome above the top edge of the liners.
Directions-
Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don't worry, this is right).
Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)
Bake cupcakes for aproximately 22-24 minutes.
Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.
Directions for frosting~
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter until smooth.
2. With the mixer running, Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
3. Add 4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice, one tablespoon at a time.
4. Continue beating, and add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, and chopped maraschino cherries. If desired, add a drop of pink food coloring (I used Americolor electric pink).
5. Beat until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heart Cutout Cupcake Assembly
(idea source- Just Jenn Recipes)
1. Use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the cupcake, using the top of the cupcake liner as a guide.
2. Use a small heart cookie cutter to cut out a heart shape from the cupcake dome.
3. Spread frosting onto the cupcake base, in a mounded shape.
4. If desired, sprinkle the cupcake dome with powdered sugar. Place top back on cupcake and press down a bit.