Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

5 from 13 votes
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 37 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
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These decadent chocolate cherry cupcakes are baked with delicious Maraschino Cherries inside the cupcake! They’re topped with cherry buttercream frosting and decorated with pretty sprinkles.

Chocolate Cherry cupcake with cherry on top and cookies and sprinkles.

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This decadent chocolate cherry cupcake recipe just made our list of favorites. I was thinking about the yummy flavor combination of cherry and chocolate, which I love, and how I haven’t made one of my fave chocolate cakes in a while.

Chocolate cherry cupcakes on a marble table with sprinkles.

The good news is, that disgusting cherry cough syrup my mom gave me as a child didn’t fully ruin my love for cherry! I like cherry paired with chocolate, especially if it involves Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries, because they’re seriously insanely delicious.

Chocolate cherry cupcakes with cherries, buttercream and sprinkles.

How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

For these chocolate cherry cupcakes, I used a trusted chocolate cake recipe passed down many years ago and made 24 deliciously moist cupcakes with a cherry in the middle and homemade meringue cherry cookies on top!

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
  • Add in the eggs, oil, vanilla, cherry sauce, and milk and mix until combined.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Add in the boiling water. Divide batter into lined cupcake pan.
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Do not overbake, but do not undertake either or the middle will collapse. Check them for around 11 minutes and see how much longer they need.
  • Once cooled, press a cherry straight down into the middle of the cupcake. Add a little more cherry sauce to it.
  • Then you will pipe frosting over the cupcake to cover the hole.
A chocolate cherry cupcake with a bite taken out of it, topped with whipped buttercream frosting and a chocolate cherry.

The maraschino cherry in the middle makes this one of the best cherry cupcakes!

Chocolate cherry cupcakes topped with cherries and sprinkles.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Toppings

They’re also so pretty! Here’s a list of what we topped them with!

  • Fresh cherries – Dip them in chocolate too!
  • Fancy Sprinkles – These are so pretty!
  • Meringue cookies
  • Freeze-dried cherry dust
Chocolate cherry cupcakes with cherries and cookies.

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5 from 13 votes

Decadent Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

By: Eden
You are going to love these fancy cupcakes!
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 37 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
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Ingredients 

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • cups cocoa powder
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3 tablespoons Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherry sauce from the jar
  • 24 Luxardo Gourmet Maraschino Cherries for the center of each cupcake

Cherry Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Luxardo the Original Maraschino Cherry sauce from the jar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions 

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
  • Add in the eggs, oil, vanilla, cherry sauce and milk and mix until combined.
  • Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Add in the boiling water. Divide batter into lined cupcake pan.
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Do not over bake, but do not undertake either or the middle will collapse. Check them around d11 minutes and see how much longer they need.
  • Once cooled, press a cherry straight down into the middle of the cupcake. Add a little more cherry sauce to it.
  • Then you will pipe frosting over the cupcake to cover the hole.

Cherry Buttercream Frosting

  • Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add in the sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until incorporated.
  • Add in the cherry sauce and continue to beat. You can add more for extra flavor if you prefer.
  • Add in vanilla and milk and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
  • Put into a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe into cupcakes, filling the hole in the middle where the cherry is.
  • Decorate the cupcakes with cookies, cherries and sprinkles.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 199mg, Potassium: 156mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 310IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Eden

I’m Eden Passante and I develop, create, style and photograph every recipe and party on Sugar and Charm. I’m the author of Entertaining with Charm and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics and I’m here to help you create simple and easy recipes for entertaining and how to add charm to any gathering!

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5 from 13 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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7 Comments

  1. Suzy says:

    5 stars
    These were amazing! From the homemade cupcake to the frosting on top. So good!

  2. Billy says:

    5 stars
    Not only are these absolutely gorgeous, they are some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten!

    1. Eden says:

      Thanks Billy!!!

  3. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    Beautiful and delicious!

  4. Stephanie says:

    5 stars
    The cherry dust on top of these cupcakes was a fantastic touch. So delicious!

  5. Julie Blanner says:

    5 stars
    Your cupcakes look prettier than mine, but they are delicious! I love the combination of chocolate and cherry, it’s so heavenly.

    1. Eden says:

      Thanks Julie!! You’re the sweetest!