Cherry Almond Cupcakes

Cherry Almond Cupcakes have a rich almond flavor and are topped with fluffy cherry buttercream frosting! Take a break from the chocolate desserts and give these cherry almond cupcakes a try instead.

Any fans of cherry flavored desserts out there? This cupcake recipe is for you! You might also love our cherry chip cheeseball recipe and our cherry chip brownies. SO good and perfect for holidays too.

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Why Make Cherry Cupcakes

Sometimes you might not be craving homemade chocolate cupcakes. I know. Don’t worry, I’m still baking my fair share of chocolate treats, but these Cherry Almond Cupcakes made a nice change from the norm.

• Start with a box of cake mix for an easy cupcake base.
• Add almond extract for rich, nutty flavor.
• Swirl homemade cherry buttercream on top, made with maraschino cherry juice.
• Add a maraschino cherry or sliced almonds for garnish.

You’ve probably noticed by now that almond extract actually smells like maraschino cherries. That’s because maraschino cherries are infused with almond extract! Adding a bit of additional almond extract to the batter enhances the cherry flavor in the frosting.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter Cake Mix- if you can’t find the butter flavored mix, just use white cake or yellow cake instead.
• Butter- you’ll need some for the cake mix and some for the frosting. I use unsalted butter in all my baking unless otherwise noted.
• Almond Extract- adding a Tablespoon gives the cake batter a rich, nutty almond flavor. Feel free to use less if desired. You’ll also add some to the frosting!
• Cherry Juice- grab that jar of maraschino cherries and use some of that juice.

How to Make Cherry Almond Cupcakes

You’re going to love how easy this cupcake recipe is to make!

For the batter:

This cupcake recipe starts with a simple box of butter cake mix. Add it to a bowl with some butter, eggs, water and almond extract and you have a fool proof batter ready to get baked into cupcakes.

To bake the cupcakes: 

Line your cupcake pan with paper liners and fill them half way up with the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted to the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool completely while you make the frosting!

For the frosting:

Whip together softened butter and powdered sugar with a little maraschino cherry juice and another spoonful of almond extract.

Electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment work best for getting the buttercream nice and fluffy!

How to frost cherry cupcakes

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, scoop the frosting into your decorating bag with the tip of your choice. Decorate each cupcake with as much frosting as desired.

A maraschino cherry poised on top is the perfect garnish. You could also add a pinch of sliced almonds if desired!

These are wonderful as a birthday treat, for Valentine’s Day or just about any occasion.

Recipe FAQs

Tips and Tricks

• If you don’t have a frosting bag: You can use a spatula to spread a layer of frosting; they won’t look as “finished” but they still taste great. You can also use a ziploc bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes as desired.
• For mini cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly into your mini muffin pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

More Easy Cupcake Recipes

• Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Yellow Cupcake Recipe
• Tiramisu Cupcakes
• Lemon Cupcakes
• Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

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Cherry Almond Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote

By: Aimee

Cherry Almond Cupcakes have a rich almond flavor and are topped with fluffy cherry buttercream frosting! Take a break from the chocolate desserts and give these cherry almond cupcakes a try instead.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients 

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For the Cupcakes:

• ▢ 1 box butter cake mix 18.5 ounce
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ⅔ cup water
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon almond extract

For the Frosting:

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ½ cup maraschino cherry juice
• ▢ 6 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons almond extract

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Instructions 

• In a large mixing bowl, mix all the cupcake ingredients together. Line cupcake pan with paper wrappers. Fill cupcakes 1/2 full.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Remove and cool completely. You can also make mini cupcakes if you prefer, baking for about 10 minutes.
• For the frosting, combine butter with powdered sugar, cherry juice and almond extract. When combined, beat on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
• Fill decorating bag and using tip of your choice, frost each cupcake. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a frosting bag: You can use a spatula to spread a layer of frosting; they won't look as "finished" but they still taste great. You can also use a ziploc bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes as desired.

For mini cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly into your mini muffin pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

How do you freeze buttercream frosting? If you want to make the buttercream frosting in advance, it keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or, transfer it to an airtight freezer safe container and you can keep it in the freezer for as long as 3 months.

How do you store Almond Cupcakes? Keep these almond cupcakes covered and enjoy them within 3 days for best flavor. These also freeze well! I prefer to freeze the almond cupcakes un-frosted in a ziploc bag, then frost them after they've thawed.

Can I use a homemade cake batter instead of mix? Absolutely. Try our vanilla cake and add almond extract for the perfect base. If you can't find the "butter cake mix," swap it out for yellow cake mix or even white cake mix.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 313kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 176mg, Sugar: 39g

Course: Cupcake

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Go ahead and make these Cherry Almond Cupcakes today and treat yourself–and your loved ones. You know you want to!