If you like chocolate covered cherries, you are going to love these Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes. A delicate spongy cupcake filled with cherry preserves and topped with cherry buttercream frosting. These are sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
This recipe was inspired by my favorite candy, chocolate covered cherries. The cupcakes are full of chocolate flavor and kept moist with the help of oil and butter.
The frosting is a simple buttercream that is flavored with cherry preserves. Each cupcake gets a generous filling of cherry preserves and then topped with the cherry buttercream.
There is no shortage of cherry flavor in this recipe.
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Who doesn’t love chocolate covered cherries?
This is a cute cupcake idea for Valentine’s Day. Don’t you think? If you love chocolate covered cherries, you will absolutely adore these cupcakes.
The cupcake base is my all time favorite chocolate cupcake. I used it for these Dr. Pepper cupcakes and these Andes Mint cupcakes.
Both of which were a huge hit with you guys! I love this simple chocolate cupcake base. It’s fluffy, moist, and sturdy.
I filled the cupcakes with cherry preserves. And topped them with a sweet cherry buttercream frosting. I like to use black cherry preserves because of the rich, dark color. If you can’t find it, you can simply use regular cherry preserves.
For extra emphasis on chocolate covered cherry, I dipped fresh cherries in chocolate and topped each cupcake with a single cherry.
These cupcakes are one of my most popular cupcake recipes. Every just loves them!
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (183 milliliters) milk
- 3/4 cup (255 grams) black cherry preserves, or regular cherry preserves
For the frosting
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cup (360 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) black cherry preserves, or regular cherry preserves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the oil, butter, and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the milk, begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat until well blended.
- Spoon 2 Tbs of batter into the paper lined muffin pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few dry crumbs. Remove cupcakes immediately from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Use the point of a sharp knife to cut a small well in the top center of the cupcakes and fill with cherry preserves. Replace the top portion of the cupcake and top with frosting. Garnish with fresh cherries dipped in chocolate if desired.
Make the frosting
- Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in cream until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Beat in the cherry preserves. If the frosting becomes too loose or curdled looking, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting comes together once again.
Yen Chan says
January 4, 2019 at 11:21 pmThanks for this recipe! It’s so do-able and delicious the kids and adults love it!
Kara says
November 10, 2018 at 1:14 pmDon’t these have to be refrigerated so that the perserves don’t spoil?
Jen Sobjack says
November 12, 2018 at 8:59 amThey’ll be fine sitting out for a little while but for longer storage, it would be best to keep them refrigerated.
Stef says
December 13, 2017 at 5:25 pmHas anyone ever made these with gf flour? If so, what kind of flour was it and how did they turn out?
GingerB says
February 1, 2018 at 2:55 pmYou can buy any GF flour and it would work well.. alittle gf tip.. blend the flour in a blender or nutrabullet on high fir a couple of mins.. gf flours tend to be grainy.. this helps solve that problem. I’ve made my own gf flour and bought the store brand and have no issues since I started using that method.
Celeste says
August 9, 2017 at 2:40 pmAre you using Bing cherries or Maraschino?
Can’t wait to bake these this weekend!!!
Jen Sobjack says
August 9, 2017 at 4:19 pmThe recipe calls for black cherry preserves or any store bought cherry preserves. If you want to make your own cherry preserves, use whatever variety you prefer. If your question is in regard to the chocolate dipped cherries, I don’t recommend using Maraschino cherries for this. Fresh cherries such as Bing or Balaton cherries are good choices.
Stephanie Eden says
March 20, 2017 at 8:57 pmJen, I’ve made these twice now and just love them! My hubby cannot get enough of them. Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca says
February 14, 2017 at 5:47 amHello. I just made this batter. After spooning in 2 Tbsp of batter into each of the 12 cups I still have a TON Of batter left. Probably enough to do another 12. Am I missing something. I double checked my measurements and I followed it to a T.
Jen Sobjack says
February 14, 2017 at 3:34 pmThis recipe should yield about 20 cupcakes. Sorry for the confusion.
Briana says
February 3, 2017 at 12:54 pmDid you use a certain brand of cherry preserves? You just bought a jar from the store I’m assuming correct? I want to make these for Valentine’s Day they look so yummy.
Jen Sobjack says
February 5, 2017 at 10:52 amYep, I used a jar purchased at my love grocer. Any brand of preserves will work. Just choose your favorite!
Catalina says
August 29, 2016 at 7:52 amCan you post directions for the chocolate covered cherries? Pretty Please?!
Jen says
August 29, 2016 at 9:22 amMelt 2 cups of chocolate chips according to package directions and dip the cherries in the melted chocolate. Set them on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow the chocolate to set.
Clare says
June 1, 2016 at 7:06 amIn the make the frosting section should it say beat in the cream not beat in the milk? I have some very runny frosting!
Jen says
June 1, 2016 at 9:27 amHeavy cream is listed in the ingredients and is what you should have used. I apologize for the misunderstanding.
Amy says
March 13, 2016 at 9:39 amHi Jen!
Awesome Cupcakes! If only I can pluck and take a piece of them directly from the screen! Yum! I’ll definitely try making your recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Jen says
March 14, 2016 at 9:24 amLife would be so much easier if we could simply grab a sweet from the computer screen. Haha! I do hope you get a chance to make these cupcakes!
plasterer bristol says
February 23, 2016 at 9:35 amThese are delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
February 9, 2016 at 11:50 amGood grief, girl! You are trying to kill me with this deliciousness! These cupcakes are so gorgeous! I LOVE that cherry on top!
Jen Sobjack says
February 11, 2016 at 10:07 amHahaha! Thank you, Rachelle! But I don’t want to kill you!!
Kelly says
February 9, 2016 at 5:16 amThese cupcakes are gorgeous, Jen! The chocolate and cherry combo is perfect for Valentine’s Day and I love that you filled them with cherry preserves!
Danielle says
February 8, 2016 at 7:12 pmI love chocolate covered cherries, they are so good! Your cupcakes look so perfect and that frosting sounds delicious too!
Sammie says
February 8, 2016 at 4:34 pmThese cupcakes look absolutely yummy. There’s something so very special about biting into a cupcake and finding a hidden centre. Absolutely delicious. Sammie.
Jen Sobjack says
February 9, 2016 at 9:15 amThanks, Sammie!