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Cherry-Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Gooey Center Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 33 reviews
  • Author: Elina
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 15 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Cherry-Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Gooey Center are a decadent treat perfect for impressing guests or satisfying your sweet tooth. Featuring a tender, rich chocolate cake infused with buttermilk for a subtle tang, each cupcake is stuffed with sweet and sticky cherry pie filling for a juicy surprise. Finished with a luscious, thick chocolate buttercream and a drizzle of cherry syrup topped with plump cherries, these cupcakes balance sweetness and chocolate intensity with delightful texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 3/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk
  • 2 Eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Boiling Water
  • 12oz Can Cherry Pie Filling

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 1 cup Butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4–5 cups Powdered Icing Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder, or more as desired
  • 2–3 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream, or more as desired
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready when your batter is mixed.
  2. Prepare Muffin Trays: Line two muffin trays with 15 cupcake liners and set them aside, so filling them is easy and mess-free.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures even distribution of the leavening agents and cocoa throughout the batter.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together white sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk for about 2 minutes until well combined and the sugar appears to dissolve, resulting in a smooth mixture.
  5. Add Eggs and Dry Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then carefully incorporate the dry ingredient mixture until just combined to avoid overmixing.
  6. Incorporate Boiling Water: Slowly add the boiling water to the batter and gently beat until the batter is smooth; this step helps to bloom the cocoa powder creating a rich chocolate flavor and tender crumb.
  7. Fill Cupcake Liners: Portion the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full to leave room for rising.
  8. Bake the Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the cupcakes are fully baked.
  9. Prepare Chocolate Buttercream: While the cupcakes cool, beat the softened butter with 4 to 5 cups of powdered icing sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa powder for about 2 minutes until well combined.
  10. Adjust Frosting Texture: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt (if using), then beat the mixture until thick, smooth, and it holds stiff peaks. Adjust sweetness or consistency by adding more powdered sugar, cocoa, or cream as desired.
  11. Core the Cupcakes: Using a cupcake corer or small knife, remove a 1 to 1 1/2 inch section from the center of each cupcake to create space for the cherry filling.
  12. Fill with Cherry Pie Filling: Spoon about one tablespoon of cherry pie filling into the hollowed center of each cupcake, making sure each gets a juicy, sweet surprise inside.
  13. Pipe the Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the chocolate buttercream and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes, starting from the center outward, then back inward and upward to create a beautiful swirl.
  14. Drizzle Cherry Syrup: Scoop out the excess syrup from the cherry pie filling (without the cherries) into a piping bag and drizzle it over the frosted cupcakes for extra flavor and shine.
  15. Garnish: Top each cupcake with a few of the whole cherries from the pie filling to complete the look and add a burst of juicy sweetness.

Notes

  • For best results, use room temperature eggs and butter to ensure smooth batter and frosting consistency.
  • You can substitute the buttermilk with milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar if needed; let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
  • The boiling water added to the batter intensifies the chocolate flavor by blooming the cocoa powder.
  • Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting and sliding.
  • Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
  • This recipe can be doubled easily if you need more cupcakes.
  • Cherry pie filling can be swapped for other fruit fillings such as raspberry or blueberry for variety.

Find it online: https://recipes.mbeams.com/cherry-stuffed-chocolate-cupcakes-with-gooey-center-recipe/