Cherry Coke Cupcakes

I found this cupcake recipe on Annie's Eats. These cupcakes are so good. I will be making them again.

Cherry Coke Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes;
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
¾ cup Coca-Cola
¼ tsp. maraschino cherry juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Maraschino cherries, stemless (reserve enough for the cupcake top)

For the glaze (optional):
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. Coca-Cola

For topping:
2/3 cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. powdered sugar
Maraschino cherry juice

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º.
Place paper liners into muffin tins.
In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. whisk together; set aside.
In mixer bowl combine sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix until well combined.
Combine buttermilk, Coke, Maraschino cherry juice and vanilla extract, stir to combine.(This mixture will appear to be curdled--it is ok)
Take dry mixture and the liquid mixture and add alternately into buttered mixture.
Mix until incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
Drop 5 to 6 stemless maraschino cherries into each cupcake and push down into batter.
Bake for 18 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes, then place on cooling rack.

Glaze:

In small bowl combine icing sugar and Coke.
Whisk until smooth.
Spoon small amount over the top of each cupcake.
Allow to set.

Whipping cream:

Add cream to mixer bowl, with whisk attachment.
Whip cream at medium speed, slowly add the icing sugar.
Gradually increase speed to high, until cream forms soft peaks.
Then whip until stiff peaks form.
Do not over beat.
Spoon or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cupcakes.
Top with a maraschino cherry.

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