Homemade Cherry Cupcakes
Treat yourself to a taste of nostalgia with these cherry cupcakes, featuring the timeless sweetness of maraschino cherries baked into every delicious bite.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 2/3 cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup maraschino cherries
- 1/4 cups maraschino cherry juice
For the Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 tbsp cherry juice
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil. Mix until well combined.
- Add the egg and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the almond extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and the maraschino cherry juice until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in cherry juice until well combined.
- Gradually add 4 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in 2 tsp of vanilla extract until the icing is smooth and fluffy.
- If the icing is too thick, add a little more cherry juice. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar
- Spread or pipe the icing onto your cooled cherry cupcakes.