Black Forest Cupcakes
The perfect pairing of chocolate and cherries! Black Forest Cupcakes are sweet, rich, and just what you need for dessert.
For the Cupcakes:
1 box Devil's Food Cake mix
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup melted butter
3 eggs
For the Cherry Filling:
4 cups drained Del Monte Dark Sweet Cherries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. powdered gelatin
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. juice from Del Monte Dark Sweet Cherries
Additional Del Monte Dark Sweet Cherries, for topping
For the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 24 cupcake pan with liners. Add the cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs to a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way and bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
Add the Dark Sweet Cherries, sugar, and cornstarch to a sauce pot. Heat it over medium heat. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the filling thickens. Then stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting: Pour the water into a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and let it sit for 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture for 10 seconds until the gelatin has fully dissolved. Stir and set aside. Pour the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until you get soft peaks. Decrease the speed to low and slowly stream in the gelatin and Cherry Juice
To Assemble: use a cupcake corer to remove the center of the cupcake. Spoon the cherry filling into the center. Frost the cupcakes with the prepared frosting. Top with additional Dark Sweet Cherries.