Red Velvet Choc Cherry Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the granulated sugar, oil and eggs until completely combined and fluffy. Stir in the food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, alternating in batches with the buttermilk, until completely combined.
• Scoop the batter into the liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Set on a wire baking rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Remove 1/2 cup of frosting to a piping bag with a small round tip or a ziptop bag. Add the cocoa powder, melted chocolate, vanilla, food coloring and salt to the remaining frosting and beat until completely combined.
• Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the chocolate frosting onto the cupcakes in an even layer, as flat as possible. Next, use the white frosting to pipe stitching onto each cupcake, one 2-inch line with 3 small cross-stitches. Serve on a green platter (for grass)!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
• Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Steps:

• Bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove compote from heat and cool completely. Measure out 1 cup for the cupcake batter. Reserve remaining compote, about 6 tablespoons, for the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line or grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour in 1/2 of the sour cream and cooled coffee; mix until just combined.
• Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with sour cream and coffee, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1 cup cherry compote. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cherry buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of cherry compote and beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Repeat twice more with remaining cherry compote, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread or pipe frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin cases. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time, whisking until fully incorporated. Sift in the flour, cocoa, bicarb and a pinch of salt. Fold in with a spatula until there are no lumps of flour remaining. Then add the buttermilk, food colouring and cherries, and stir briefly to combine. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 20 mins until risen and springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Warm the cream and cherry conserve in a small pan, add the chocolate and remove from the heat. Leave for a few mins, then stir until melted and combined. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool completely - the icing will set to a spreadable consistency within about 30 mins. Once cooled and thickened, spread the icing on the cupcakes, decorate with a drizzle of red icing or some red glitter and top with half a glacé cherry. These cakes will keep for a few days in a cake tin.

Steps:

• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes; beat in brown sugar and white sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat egg, milk, and vanilla extract into butter mixture; beat in food coloring until uniformly colored.
• Stir flour mixture into butter mixture gradually with electric mixer on low speed until combined; stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll dough into 2-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with a few additional chocolate chips; allow to cool completely.