Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Ingredients for 18 servings:

• 100 g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 90 g flour, type 405
• 130 g butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 80 g cherry(s), dried
• 1 jar cherry(s), (amarena cherries) approx. 240 ml, drained weight about half
• 3 large egg whites
• 240 g sugar
• 240 g butter
• 6 tbsp syrup from the amaretto cherries
• Food coloring, pink
• 18 cherries (slicing cherries)
• e.g. wafer rolls (pastry rolls for ice cream sundaes)
• Sugar pearls, colorful

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 25 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

Sundae Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat). Line a muffin tin with baking cups and set aside. Place the amaretto cherries in a sieve, reserving the syrup. You’ll need it later. Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan and melt gently over low heat. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Once melted, set aside to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour with the salt and baking powder. In a second bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until creamy. Stir in the slightly cooled chocolate, then the flour mixture. Finally, fold in the dried cherries and amaretto cherries. Fill each cup about 2/3 full. I use an ice cream scoop for this; it’s very precise and mess-free. Bake the cupcakes for about 25 minutes. Since every oven works differently, you should test for doneness with a toothpick after 20 minutes. Then set aside to cool. For the frosting, put the sugar and egg whites in a glass bowl and place it over a double boiler. Heat gently. If you have a candy thermometer, heat until the temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit (about 70 degrees Celsius). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, heat until the mixture begins to thicken and the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the egg white and sugar mixture into a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until glossy, stiff peaks form. This should take about 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter a little at a time, mixing each piece in completely before adding the next. If the buttercream seems too runny, don’t despair. Keep beating; it will stiffen. Now add 5-6 tablespoons of the amaretto syrup and the food coloring and beat briefly until everything is mixed in. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle (I used a Wilton 2D). Pipe a neat little tower in the center of each cupcake. Place a cherry in the center of each one. My pastry rolls were too large, so I carefully broke them in half and gently pushed the broken ends into the frosting. Be careful not to poke the cupcake. The air would get in and dry out the batter. If you hold the cupcake at a slight angle, you can sprinkle the sugar pearls beautifully on top.