Vanilla Cherry Pie Cupcakes

By srumbel

Homemade vanilla cupcakes with a hidden pocket of pie filling and a delicious swirl of frosting makes any party festive.
from insidebrucrewlife.com

Ingredients

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Topping and Filling
• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 - 21 ounce can cherry pie filling (you will only use 1/2 can)
• 2 - 10.6 ounce containers Cool Whip Frosting
• colored sprinkles

Preparation

Step 1

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this alternately with the buttermilk until all has been mixed in. Beat the mixture for another 1-2 minutes on medium. Fill 24 cupcake liners with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Let cool completely.
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Unroll the pie crust according to the package directions. Cut out mini star shapes. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Let cool.
Use a cupcake corer and remove the center of each cupcake. Use a teaspoon to fill the centers with cherry pie filling. Top each cupcake with a generous swirl of Cool Whip Frosting. Add fun colored sprinkles and a star pie crust topper. Makes 24 cupcakes. Store the cupcakes in a sealed container in the refrigerator.