Aren't maraschino cherries fun? Something about their bright red color and long stems just leaves me feeling nostalgic. But how does one use a maraschino cherry, other than in a Shirley Temple or an ice cream sundae? And after you've eaten all the cherries, what does one do with all the leftover sticky cherry syrup?
Care to try a cherry cola cupcake with maraschino buttercream?
These cupcakes have a mild chocolate flavor (think milk chocolate) with subtle cherry cola notes. Then, the cupcakes are covered in a simple glaze made of maraschino cherry juice, more cola and some powdered sugar. As for the cherry cola, feel free to use any brand. I like Boylan's because it's local to us...and if I'm being completely honest, I also really like their glass bottles. I guess I'm a sucker for good packaging. But seriously, any brand of cherry cola is fine, so long as you don't use a diet variety. Finally, these cupcakes are frosted with a buttercream that gets its gorgeous pink color from a few tablespoons of maraschino cherry juice. Finish it all off with a cherry on top -- of course!
Luckily for me, a few other ladies had already made similar cupcakes. The cherry cola cupcakes and glaze are based off of this recipe from Brown-Eyed Baker. The maraschino buttercream is based off of this recipe from Girl versus Dough.
(click here for printable recipe)
Cherry Cola Cupcakes with Maraschino Buttercream
(Cupcake and glaze adapted from this recipe by Brown-Eyed Baker. Buttercream adapted slightly from this recipe by Girl versus Dough.
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cherry cola (cannot be diet)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift together.
3. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and continue mixing.
4. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk, cola, and vanilla extract.
5. Next, you'll incorporate the flour mixture and cola mixture into the creamed butter/sugar/egg combo. Add 1/3 flour mixture, then 1/2 cola mixture, and continue process until all ingredients are incorporated. Mix well after each addition.
6. Fill each cupcake liner with a scant 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cupcakes should spring back when touched, and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before glazing and frosting.
Glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. maraschino cherry juice/syrup
1 tsp. cherry cola
1. In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, cherry syrup, and cherry cola.
2. Using a teaspoon, pour a scant teaspoon of glaze onto the center of each cupcake. Use the teaspoon to spread glaze across top of cupcake (If you pour more than a teaspoon of glaze onto the cupcake, the excess glaze will run off to the edges of the cupcake liner).
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| Glazed, unfrosted cupcakes |
Buttercream
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. maraschino cherry syrup
12-14 maraschino cherries, for decoration
1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients with a hand mixer until stiff and cream. Frost cupcakes as desired, and top each cupcake with a maraschino cherry
Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
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