Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes with Maraschino Cherry Icing

Despite the fact it's been one of the mildest winters I can ever remember, the dreary grey has gotten to me.  It's been rainy, windy, chilly....all gloom all the time.  By the beginning of March, who isn't ready for spring?!  To help cure what ails me, I prescribed myself a large dose of pink in cupcake form to brighten my mood.  What do you know?  It's actually working, and just in time because its' raining again....ugh.

Let's focus on the happy stuff....CUPCAKES!  

These Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes with Maraschino Cherry Icing are DE-LICIOUS!  I was happy with everything about this cake - it was nicely between light and dense, the right amount of sweet, nice almond flavoring, AND a cherry surprise inside!

Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 egg whites, at room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

24 maraschino cherries, halved

*To make sour milk use 2 teaspoon of lemon juice poured into a glass measuring cup.  Add enough milk to reach 3/4  of a cup.  Stir, let sit for 5 minutes before using.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place liners in a cupcake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer set between medium and high for 30 seconds.
• Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until combined.
• Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed until just combined (do not over mix).
• Fill a prepared cupcake pan liners 2/3 high with cake batter.
• Press 2 halves of cherries half into the middle of each cupcake.

• Bake for 18-20 minutes.
• After cooling in pan for 15 minutes, remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• Pipe or use an offset spatula to ice with Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting

2 sticks butter, room temperature

4 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract


In large mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed until fluffy.  Add three cups of sugar, one at a time until combined.  Add cherry juice and almond extract, along with last cup of sugar.   Beat until smooth.  Add more cherry juice, one teaspoon at a time, to reach desired consistency of frosting.

Mmmm....like I said, these are good.  If you're suffering from winter gloom, I recommend these happy looking and yummy tasting treats.  Imagine you are eating one under the sun on the beach watching the waves roll in and out.  Hang in there, summer IS coming!!