Hello everyone! These heavenly Black Forest cherry cupcakes are a perfect sweet treat for warm days. They work equally well with cherries from a jar or fresh fruit and deliver moist, chocolatey goodness with every bite.
Taste and Occasion
The combination of chocolate and cherries is timeless—just as comforting as apple with cinnamon. These chocolate cherry cupcakes capture that classic pairing in a simple, summery format. With this easy recipe for moist chocolate cherry cupcakes topped with a creamy frosting, you can whip up a delightful dessert in no time that’s sure to please family and guests.
Ingredients
This recipe is inspired by the German classic Black Forest cake, reimagined as individual cupcakes. The base is a super-moist chocolate sponge that’s simple to prepare. Cherries are folded into the batter—finely chopped if you prefer a more even texture, or left whole if you like bigger fruit pieces. Both fresh cherries and jarred, preserved cherries work well; for the prettiest decoration, fresh cherries are ideal.
How to make the Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Start by melting the chopped dark chocolate over a hot water bath. Set it aside to cool a little. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pit the cherries and chop them into smaller pieces if using fresh fruit.
Cream the soft butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Alternate folding in the dry ingredients—flour and baking powder—and the chocolate mixture, stirring briefly but thoroughly. Add the cherry juice (or cherry brandy) as part of the liquid. Finally, gently fold in the chopped cherries.
Divide the batter among paper-lined muffin cups placed in a muffin tray and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth, then fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to create a light, creamy topping. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and finish each with a fresh cherry for a classic Black Forest look.
Top Tip
This recipe uses a simple cream cheese frosting—just cream, cream cheese and powdered sugar—for a refreshing finish. Buttercream or mascarpone-based toppings are also excellent alternatives if you prefer a richer or tangier finish. Whichever you choose, the cherry and chocolate combination remains irresistible.
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Moist Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 120 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 120 grams butter, soft
- 90 grams sugar
- 2 eggs, medium
- 180 grams flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cherry juice, or cherry brandy
- 200 grams cherries, fresh or from the jar
For the frosting
- 160 grams cream
- 140 grams cream cheese
- 60 grams powdered sugar
- 12 cherries, for decoration
Instructions
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Melt the chopped chocolate in a hot water bath. Set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Pit the cherries and cut them into smaller pieces if needed.
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Beat the soft butter with the sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, baking powder and cherry juice alternately with the melted chocolate until just combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.
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Spoon the batter into muffin cups placed in a tray. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then let the cupcakes cool completely.
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Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream gently. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top each with a fresh cherry.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
The melted dark chocolate folded into the batter keeps these cupcakes wonderfully moist and gives them a slight brownie-like texture when not overbaked. For different takes on the cherry-chocolate pairing, try a chocolate-cherry sheet cake or a cherry cake with crumble on top. You can also experiment with nut additions for extra texture.