Ingredients
The following ingredients have 18 Servings
- 1 oz jar maraschino cherries (drained, liquid reserved, 10)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherry liquid
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 egg whites (beaten)
- Optional: pink food color
- tablespoon Reserved 1 maraschino cherry liquid
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups ½ confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 18 maraschino cherries with stems
Instruction
- 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.
