Saturday, October 16, 2010

Cherry Cupcakes - Pink Saturday


Photo courtesy of Photobucket - Creative Commons Attribution

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A bit of chocolate is good for the soul and mine is happy right now. These cupcakes go together quickly and are better for you than most. That's not to say they're better for you than an apple might be, but the folks at Eating Well have managed to reduced the fat and calories and still deliver something you'll enjoy. If you need to take the edge off a sweet tooth, give these a try. I'm happy to report that despite what's been taken from them, enough remains to make these a really nice snack. If you object to the use of food coloring, by all means omit it. It adds nothing but a lovely pink hue to the cupcakes. It is Pink Saturday, so I decided to use it. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Eating Well

Ingredients
:
Cake
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1-1/2 cups chopped pitted cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained), plus 12 fresh cherries with stems for garnish
Frosting
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), at room temperature
1 /2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup packed confectioners’ sugar
Red Food coloring
Milk for thinning

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners.
2) Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3) Beat granulated sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. With mixer on low, alternately mix in dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. Fold in chopped cherries until just combined. Divide batter among prepared cups (they will be full).
4) Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5) Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sour cream and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add a drop or two of red food color to tint icing. Refrigerate frosting until very cold, about 2 hours. Thin with milk if necessary to spread on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a cherry on top. Yield: 12 cupcakes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Frosting - One Perfect Bite
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes - Sugar Plum
Raspberry Cup Cakes - My Kitchen Treasures
Red Velvet Cupcakes - What's for Dinner Across State Lines
Carrot Cupcakes - Christine's Cuisine
Owl Cupcakes - Sinfully Southern Sweets
German Chocolate Cupcakes - Barbara Bakes

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

46 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

Oh, yum!!! So pretty, I've never heard of cherry cupcakes!

Lyndas recipe box said...

These cupcakes look so pretty dressed in pink...I have not tried using whole wheat flour in cake before, so I'm very interested to see how these taste.
Have a wonderful week-end Mary!

Michelle said...

Hi Mary-
These look so very pretty and elegant, I am definitely going to run out to the store tomorrow and get a few extra ingredients and make a patch. As always I love what you share. Have a great weekend and pink saturday.

My Little Space said...

My goodness, these look marvellous! Bookmarked this for later use. I'm drooling! Hope you're having a wonderful day and also have a safe trip.
Blessings, Kristy

Angie's Recipes said...

Mary, I really admire your passion for food and life. Thanks again for sharing us with another wonderful recipe.
I wish you and yours a wonderful weekend!
Angie

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I have enjoyed the magazine, Eating Well. Glad your "soul is happy."

Fondly,
Glenda

Monet said...

Mary,
Thank you for sharing such a pretty, pink cupcake. I loved seeing the cherry...it reminds me one of my favorite childhood snacks...a bowl of vanilla ice cream with cherries on top. Thank you also for your kind words on my blog...your thoughts are so appreciated!

scrambledhenfruit said...

Those cupcakes are perfect- I love the cherry on top!

cocoa and coconut said...

Looks beautiful! I think the pink was a great decision. And I welcome any fat/calorie cutting because these are too cute to resist.

Chele said...

Perfect looking cupcakes made even better with the addition of chocolate ;0)

Cheah said...

This is so cute and sweet, lovely pink!

Lucie said...

The cream cheese frosting and cherries must be a great pairing. Looking forward to trying them!

nesrin said...

Lecker.

Abramyan Avenue said...

Oh my goodness this sounds so good! And they are so pretty!! I think we will need to try this on the weekend! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
-April

Joanne said...

Not only is this good for you (okay, well that may be stretching it...but at least it's not BAD for you!) but it's pink and cherry! Too of my favorite things. So pretty.

Thanks so much for the sweet comment about PFB. Honestly, knowing that so many people supported me and were rooting for me means so much more to me than one judge's vote. And you're so right - there's always next year!

Unknown said...

OH My.. I am so on a mission now to find pitted cherries and frozen.. I dont know that Ive ever seen them!

From the Kitchen said...

Delicious and healthy? I'll bite!! I'm thinking of orange icing, a candy pumpkin on top and serving them to my Muse book group on Wednesday. The ladies always like to hear "light" in the same breath as dessert.

Best,
Bonnie

Rita said...

Have not made cupcakes in years and your are really tempting; great photo.
Rita

Julie said...

Mary - These are so beautiful. They're an amazing shade of pink. Happy Pink Saturday!!!

Umm Mymoonah said...

Gorgeous looking pink muffins, have a nice weekend.

nanny said...

Perfect cupcake for today. Race for the cure is being held in Little Rock. All pink today.
They are too pretty to eat.....well maybe just one/ha

Dimah said...

Those sound wonderful!

Pondside said...

I love anything cherry - and these are very pretty too. They'd be a nice addition to a shower table.

Nancy said...

I love your cupcake. I love the homemade ones but am definitely not a fan of the cupcake shops mile high icing cupcakes...yectchhh! And a cherry on top, too! :) Nancy

Gloria Baker said...

OMG !! Dear Mary this look absolutely perfect!! amazing picture! x gloria

Jaime and Jen DISH said...

Oh my goodness, these cupcakes are BEAUTIFUL and I bet they taste so wonderful. Thank you for sharing!!!!

Jenifer

Jaime and Jen Dish

Sushma Mallya said...

its so gorgeous mary...have a lovely trip,have fun and enjoy

Unknown said...

Mary, the cupcakes look absolutely beautiful and no doubt they must be delicious. Enjoy your weekend. Michael

Anonymous said...

Hi mary
these cupcakes look so pretty
You have a beautiful site. I
hope often to visit you
Have a wonderful weekend!!!!
leyla

Sinful Southern Sweets said...

Mary, these are just lovely. I don't believe you could have made them any more desirable. They look as though I could just reach through my laptop and grab one. And, of course I adore all things pink :)
Have a great weekend

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary, It's good to be back here to find another one of your Pretty in Pink YUMMY creation with a cherry on top:)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Eileen said...

These look delicious! Definitely a recipe I would try.

Emily Z said...

Your cupcakes are almost too pretty to eat! They belong in a bakery! Beautiful job!

Barbara Bakes said...

Your pink cupcakes are beautiful! I love that they are a bit healthier. I think little changes really add up. Thanks for the link love.

Alessandra said...

Ciao Mary, these look lovely. Thank you for your message and happy traveling!

Alessandra

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Mary, beautiful cupcakes! I love how the calories are reduced in this recipe which certainly didn't hamper their beautiful appearance. I appreciate your comment on my blog! Please enjoy every minute of your well deserved vacation with your husband! I can't wait to hear about your travels when you return safely :o)

Unknown said...

So lovely cupcakes!

Happy Pink Saturday!

Unknown said...

I'm drooling! Please join the prayer circle for breast cancer on my blog. Happy Pink Saturday!

Anonymous said...

Lovely cupcakes! yummy and looks perfect.

Adelina said...

yummylicious cupcakes- and a bit of color does not harm- come on!- beetroot maybe?

Donnie said...

I'm a day late but really enjoyed all your pink cupcakes. Happy Pink Saturday.

Beverly said...

I'm just going to close my eyes and imagine I'm taking a bite out of this beautiful cupcake.

And, I think I will imagine that I am traveling to wonderful places with you, too.

Happy Pink Saturday, Mary.

Bakericious said...

these cupcakes are so pretty!

Eliana said...

That icing dripping down the sides is seriously making me drool!

Nica D said...

I know this is an older post but I wanted to say how much I love how these look and how I was inspired by them. Cherries were pretty expensive when I wanted to make them, but blueberries were on sale! So I substituted blueberries for the cherries and tinted the frosting blue instead of pink. They were delicious! Now I can't wait to make them with cherries, or even other fruit :D

Mary Bergfeld said...

Nica, I'm so glad you were able to make these work for you. I'll have to try them with blueberries. Have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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