End of the World Double-Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

So for the first time in recorded history (or rather that I can remember during the course of my life), there was a tornado in my home state of Massachusetts! A tornado! My city was on tornado watch the whole evening – but do you know what even a tornado can’t stop me from?! Baking, of course.

Looking for a distraction, I decided to make some delicious Double-Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes topped off with Chocolate Cherry Almond Frosting.

Wouldn’t mind being stuck with these little babies in a storm shelter, now would ya?

Cupcakes

For the chocolate-cherry cupcakes, follow the chocolate cake mix instructions as listed on the box. Cut up ¾ of a small jar of maraschino cherries (without stems) into bite size pieces and stir thoroughly into the cake mix. Be sure to leave at least 24 cherries aside to garnish the cupcakes. Add in ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips and stir. Spoon cupcake mix into cups using a 1/3 cup measuring cup. This ensures your cakes will be even & fills the cups just right! Bake cupcakes as instructed on the box. Let stand for 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Frosting

½ C. room temperature butter

4 C. confectionary sugar

3 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp chocolate cocoa mix

Milk as needed

Start off by beating butter & 1 c. confectionery sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in cherry juice and almond extract. Mix in additional confectionery sugar 1 cup at a time. Frosting should be thick, but easy to spread with a butter knife. Peaks should form when you stick a spoon in to the frosting and pull it out. If you find your frosting is too thick, add in milk ½ tbsp at a time and mix until desired thickness is reached. If you find your frosting is too thin, add in additional confectionery sugar until desired thickness is reached.

I frosted my cupcakes using a large tip & piping bag, topping them off with a maraschino cherry. Make sure you blot your cherry on a paper towel before putting them on top of your cupcake. These retain a lot of red liquid that will bleed on to your frosting if you don’t blot them first.

Want more chocolate? Shave a chocolate bar on top of your cupcakes before putting the cherry on top!! Leftover Easter bunnies are perfect for chocolate shavings!