Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cupcakes featuring Barnie’s Sweetheart Blend Coffee

If you like chocolate-covered cherries, you are going to love these Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cupcakes. A delicate cupcake filled with cherries and topped with cherry buttercream topping with just a hint of coffee to make it an unforgettable taste. These are sure to please your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day or just another romantic day for the New Year 2021. Why not? New Year, New You, right?

SERVINGS: Approximately 20 cupcakes
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR CUPCAKES:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Barnie’s Sweetheart Blend ground coffee
• 1 cup of milk
• ¾ cup of cherry preserves or maraschino cherries (your choice)

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ⅓ cup cherry preserves
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUPCAKES:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with foil or paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the oil, butter, sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, coffee grounds, milk, and salt. Stir with a whisk. Gradually add the flour to the butter mixture. Beat until well blended all together.

4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter into the foil-lined muffin cups. Insert two maraschino cherries mashed in the center then add another spoonful of the batter over the top to cover it.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes immediately from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Top with frosting. Garnish with fresh cherries dipped in chocolate if desired.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FROSTING:

1. Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar.

2. Beat in heavy cream until frosting reaches the desired consistency.

3. Beat in the cherry preserves or maraschino cherries (your choice). If the frosting looks too loose add more powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is together once again. Garnish with fresh chocolate covered cherry if desired.

TIP: Don’t forget the garnish cherry on top has a pit. Sometime this can be disguised by the delicious chocolate on top.