This final creation with Montmorency tart cherries is happily and satisfyingly my favorite. You see, I consider MJ and myself novice cupcake experts. MJ is not the crazy food person I am but I can get him talking about texture and taste when it comes to these little bits of cake. We’ve enjoyed our fair share from a number of places and we are very sure of what we like. Forget light and airy, we like to sink our teeth into (and successfully hold) a dense, spongy cupcake. Flavors must be right on the money and as for frosting, we aren’t as young as we once were and while mile-high frosting looks delicious, it’s just too much. It took three batches of cupcakes to get this recipe right and when I tasted the third and final trial, a huge smile spread across my face because I nailed it. The tart cherry taste is bright and cheery, the cupcake is dense and spongy and topped with frosting, the whole thing sidles up to perfection.
To get the tart cherry flavor just right, I used a juice concentrate for this recipe. Juice concentrate is nothing new to me but I liked using the tart cherry kind because there was no sugar or artificial dye. The cupcake’s reddish, brown tone is thanks to all-natural tart cherries. I’m probably pushing here just a bit, but let’s pretend all the natural goodness of tart cherries – beneficial flavonoids, vitamin A, natural inflammation reducers and melatonin, a natural way to improve sleep efficiency – are all nicely tucked into these sweet cups of cake. :)
Thickness in cupcake batter comes about through additions like sour cream. After liking the texture density of her champagne cake which I used in making a birthday cake for my good friend, I went searching for the perfect cupcake recipe on Sprinkle Bakes as well. Her champagne cupcakes were the ticket. First I tried cherry juice but the tart cherry taste was non-existent. It was still a good cupcake but there was not enough flavor. Next I tried the juice concentrate and it was good, at least I think so. MJ My kitchen assistant over-cooked them. :) For the final batch, I watched them like a hawk and slightly burned my tongue checking the flavor. Winners in all categories. I topped them with my favorite frosting and smiled to myself for a few long minutes. Then I served them to my family to share the smile around.
Recipe adapted from Sprinkle Bakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup tart cherry juice concentrate, room temp
Instructions
- Beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well after each addition.
- Add in vanilla and mix until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream and juice concentrate until well blended.
- Alternate adding the flour mix and the juice mixture, starting and ending with the flour mix. Blend until just combined. Scrape the bowl and blend for bit more.
- With a large scoop, divide the batter among a cupcake pan filled with cupcake liners. It fills between 18-20.
- Bake at 350F for 16-17 minutes. Do not over bake.
- Allow to cool before frosting.
- Top with vanilla frosting.
This post is in partnership with Cherry Marketing Institute and ChooseCherries.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Okay, these look and sound delicious. I’ve never thought to add fruit juice concentrate to cupcakes. Ingenious
Thank you! They are delish!