Black Forest Cupcakes

Today is National Chocolate Cupcake Day! Black Forest Cupcakes happen to be a family favorite. Yummy chocolate cupcakes filled with cherries and topped with whip cream frosting, grated chocolate and topped with a cherry. Traditionally, Black Forest cake/cupcakes have liqueur in the cherries, this recipe does not. It’s kid-friendly. I was gifted Imperial Sugar and my cupcakes were made with Imperial Sugar, it’s my sugar of choice and what I buy and use for all of my recipes. In my opinion, it’s the best.

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 6 T flour

1 cup Imperial granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with 12 liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 cup coffee, very hot

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, combine oil, buttermilk, and egg. to the dry ingredients and mix well, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl. Once combined, pour in coffee. Mix well and add in vanilla. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Bake 17-18 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

Filling:

1 can of cherry pie filling

Make holes in the center of cupcakes using a knife or large piping tip. Fill the hole in the cupcake with 2-3 cherries and pie filling liquid. Cover hole of the cupcake with what you removed to make the hole. Top with whip cream frosting.

Whip Cream Frosting:

1-pint heavy whipping cream

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup Imperial powdered confectioners sugar or more to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla

Grated chocolate for garnish, optional

Maraschino cherries for garnish, optional

Refrigerate mixing bowl and attachment (s) for a minimum of 30 minutes. Pour heavy cream into mixing bowl and add cream cheese. Mix into stiff peaks, add sugar and vanilla. Put in piping bag and pipe on cupcakes. Add grated chocolate and cherries if desired. Keep refrigerated.