As we begin December, it's important to realize just how vital it is to have items on hand for quick entertaining and while some good snack mix and beverages, cheese and smoked fish are all lovely, I really want to make sure everyone has their sweets budget set. For me, that often means baking some decadent cupcakes and freezing them for taking out here and there to coat with a simple ganache and popping a beautiful cherry on top. Trust me, anyone calling in the morning to pop in for a visit in the afternoon is going to be wowed by one of those beautiful cupcakes and a cup of coffee or tea.
If you don't have cherry juice on hand, you can skip it or substitute a bit more cooled coffee. Don't worry if you aren't a fan of coffee - I add the stuff to every chocolate baked good I make and no one ever notices … it just makes your chocolate more chocolatey if that makes sense. If you don't have yogurt, you could substitute sour cream. Also you can use salted or unsalted butter - it doesn't matter which. And I happened to use bourbon soaked maraschino cherries, but the regular kind work just fine and are preferable if you are having a gathering involving children.
I love how festive these cupcakes are without being super fussy. And they freeze beautifully. Just make sure you fully thaw them before drizzling them with ganache. Otherwise the moisture released as the cupcake thaws could cause problems with the ganache sticking to the cupcake and fully setting. Trust me, you only need a little bit of patience. Enjoy!
Triple Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
- 2 cups pitted and chopped cherries - you can use fresh or frozen (easier to chop the cherries when frozen)
- 1 cup butter
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup cooled coffee
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon cherry juice (I reserved some from my chopped frozen cherries as they thawed)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 8 oz. high quality dark chocolate chips, chunks, or bars cut into small pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 24 maraschino cherries with stems - I used bourbon soaked cherries!
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Chop the cherries and set aside. If using frozen cherries (I did), allow them to thaw fully and drain away the juices, reserving some for the cupcake batter.
Melt the butter in the microwave by placing it in a safe bowl and microwaving it for 30 seconds at a time until melted, but not bubbling. Add the cocoa powder and cooled coffee to the melted butter. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, and cherry juice. Set aside.
Add the heated cocoa mixture to the flour mixture and stir well to combine. Stir the egg mixture into the batter and stir until fully incorporated.
Gently fold the cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks and the chopped cherries into the batter and scoop the batter with a 2 oz. ice cream disher or large spoon into 24 muffins tin openings that have been lined with cupcake liners.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
When the cupcakes are completely cool, make the ganache by combining the high quality dark chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave safe glass bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and the resulting mixture is smooth and glossy. Using a spoon, drizzle the ganache evenly over each cupcake and set a maraschino cherry on top of each cupcake - drying it slightly beforehand and pressing it gently into the ganache to help it stand upright on the cupcake. Allow the ganache on the cupcakes to dry fully before serving.
- Yields: 24 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time