This Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe is perfect for National Cherry Month, Valentine’s Day or any time of year!
While this Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe is delicious any time of year, it is particularly fitting for February. Not only is it National Cherry Month, but these red and white cuties are perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Later in the year, these pretty and tasty cherry cupcakes also add a summery feel to your picnic or backyard BBQ.
Maraschino Cherries flavor the batter and add a pop of color to the cupcakes and the frosting also has a hint of cherry flavor thanks to the cherry liquid.
If you want to add even more bright red color to your cupcake presentation, you can bake them in red foil cupcake liners. Their shiny surface will play off those bright red cherries.
For another delicious cherry recipe, try our Maraschino Cherry Cookies recipe! They’re super easy to make starting with a boxed cake mix.
Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe
Yields: 18 cupcakes
Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries, drained, liquid reserved
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup maraschino cherry liquid
¼ cup whole milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 egg whites, beaten
Optional: pink food color
Frosting:
Reserved 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry liquid
1 cup butter, softened
3 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
Garnish:
18 maraschino cherries with stems
How to Make Cherry Cupcakes:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups; set aside.
2. Finely chop cherries and place in paper-towel-lined bowl to drain while preparing batter.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
4. In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup cherry liquid, the milk and 2 teaspoons almond extract.
5. Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour mixture and cherry mixture to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
If desired, stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired pink color is achieved.
Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in chopped cherries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched in center. Remove from muffin cups to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
7. To make frosting, combine butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat until blended.
8. Add the milk, vanilla and cherry liquid and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
9. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and garnish each with 1 cherry with stem.
Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 10 oz Jar maraschino cherries drained, liquid reserved
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup maraschino cherry liquid
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 egg whites beaten
- pink food color optional
Frosting
- 1 tablespoon reserved maraschino cherry liquid
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 ½ cups cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- 18 maraschino cherries with stems
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups; set aside.
- Finely chop cherries and place in paper-towel-lined bowl to drain while preparing batter.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
- In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
- In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup cherry liquid, the milk and 2 teaspoons almond extract.
- Beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour mixture and cherry mixture to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
- If desired, stir in a few drops of food coloring until desired pink color is achieved.
- Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Fold in chopped cherries.
- Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched in center. Remove from muffin cups to cooling rack.
- Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- To make frosting, combine butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat until blended.
- Add the milk, vanilla and cherry liquid and beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes and garnish each with 1 cherry with stem.
Nutrition
Perla Gomez says
Hi I am a bit confused on the recipe. You mention using a box cake but I don’t see one listed under the ingredients. Can a box cake be used? What needs to be added? Thanks.
Chrysa says
The mention of the boxed cake mix was for the Marschino COOKIES recipe, but you could use one in this cupcake recipe too. What you would do is prepare according to the package instructions, but substitute 1/2 cup cherry liquid for 1/2 cup of the water called for by the mix instructions. Then also add the 2 teaspoons almond extract if you would like that good almond flavor that this recipe has.