Easy Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
Easy Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
These Easy Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes combine rich chocolate cupcakes with fluffy whipped cream frosting, sweet cherry pie filling, and a beautiful cherry on top. They’re simple to make but look like something you picked up from a bakery.
Chocolate and cherries are one of those combinations that just always works. The deep chocolate flavor of the cupcakes pairs perfectly with sweet-tart cherries, and the light whipped cream frosting keeps the whole dessert from feeling too heavy.
My favorite part is swirling some of the cherry pie filling right into the white frosting. You get these gorgeous ribbons of bright red cherry running through the fluffy white topping, and every cupcake looks slightly different.
Then, of course, you need one glossy cherry right on top.
These are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, birthdays, parties, or anytime you want an easy chocolate cupcake that looks a little extra special.
Why You’ll Love These Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
- Rich chocolate cupcakes
- Light and fluffy whipped cream frosting
- Sweet cherry pie filling
- Beautiful cherry swirl
- Easy to decorate
- Great make-ahead dessert
- Perfect chocolate-and-cherry combination
- Gorgeous for holidays and parties
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup hot water or hot coffee
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherry Topping
- 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
How to Make Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Step 2: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Break up any lumps in the cocoa powder so everything is evenly combined.
Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients
Add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
Mix until combined.
Step 4: Add the Hot Water
Slowly stir in the hot water or hot coffee.
The batter will look fairly thin. That’s exactly what you want.
Using hot coffee instead of water can intensify the chocolate flavor without making the cupcakes taste strongly like coffee.
Step 5: Fill the Cupcake Liners
Divide the chocolate cupcake batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each approximately 2/3 full.
Step 6: Bake
Bake at 350°F for 17–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Cool completely before decorating.
Make the Whipped Cream Frosting
Pour the very cold heavy whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer until the cream begins to thicken.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Don’t continue beating once the frosting is stiff or you risk overwhipping the cream.
Keep the frosting refrigerated until you’re ready to decorate.
How to Make the Cherry Swirl
This is what makes these cupcakes so pretty.
Spoon approximately 1/3 cup of cherry pie filling onto a cutting board or into a small bowl.
Remove several of the prettiest whole cherries and set them aside for decorating the tops.
Finely chop or mash some of the remaining cherries so you have a thick cherry sauce with small pieces of fruit.
Place the whipped cream frosting into a large bowl.
Spoon a few streaks of the cherry mixture over the frosting.
Very gently fold or swirl it through the whipped cream only once or twice.
Don’t completely mix it in.
You want visible ribbons of bright cherry red running through the white frosting.
Decorate the Cupcakes
Transfer the cherry-swirled whipped cream frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Pipe a generous swirl onto each cooled chocolate cupcake.
Don’t worry if every cupcake looks different. The random cherry ribbons make them even prettier.
Finish each cupcake with one cherry from the pie filling right on top.
You can also drizzle a tiny amount of the cherry sauce over the frosting if you want an extra dramatic look.
Jennie’s Thoughts
Chocolate cupcakes are one of those recipes that you can completely transform just by changing the topping.
And I love what cherry pie filling does to these.
I wanted the frosting to stay mostly white instead of turning the entire thing pink. So rather than mixing the cherry filling completely into the whipped cream, I just swirl a little through it.
You get these beautiful streaks of cherry red running through the white frosting.
Then I put one cherry right on top.
It’s such a simple decorating trick, but the cupcakes look so much more impressive than the amount of work involved.
And the flavor combination is so good.
You get rich chocolate cake, light whipped cream, and those sweet cherries all in the same bite.
These would be gorgeous for Christmas or Valentine’s Day, but honestly, I would make them any time of year.
Can I Use a Chocolate Cake Mix?
Absolutely.
If you need these cupcakes to be even easier, prepare your favorite chocolate cake mix according to the package directions.
Bake the cupcakes and let them cool completely.
Then make the whipped cream frosting and cherry topping as directed.
It’s a great shortcut when you’re making several desserts for a party.
Can I Put Cherry Filling Inside the Cupcakes?
Yes!
For even more cherry flavor, you can turn these into cherry-filled chocolate cupcakes.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, use a small paring knife or cupcake corer to remove a little cake from the center.
Spoon approximately 1–2 teaspoons of cherry pie filling into each cupcake.
Replace a small piece of cake over the filling, then pipe the frosting over the top.
Now you get a hidden cherry center when you bite into the cupcake.
How Do I Keep the Frosting White With Cherry Swirls?
The secret is not overmixing.
Add small spoonfuls or streaks of cherry sauce to your whipped cream frosting and gently move a spatula through it once or twice.
Stop while you can still clearly see white frosting.
If you continue stirring, the entire bowl will eventually turn pink.
It will still taste delicious, but you’ll lose that beautiful swirled appearance.
Can I Use Store-Bought Whipped Topping?
Yes.
For an especially quick version, you can use thawed whipped topping instead of homemade whipped cream frosting.
Make sure it’s cold before decorating.
Because whipped topping is very soft, keep the finished cupcakes refrigerated.
How to Get a Beautiful Frosting Swirl
Use a large piping tip.
Small piping tips don’t work as well when your cherry mixture contains pieces of fruit.
A large open-star tip creates a big bakery-style swirl and allows tiny cherry pieces to pass through more easily.
If you’re worried about fruit clogging the tip, use mostly cherry sauce in the frosting and save the whole cherries for the tops.
Make Them Extra Chocolatey
For an even more decadent dessert, add:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate curls
- Chocolate shavings
- A drizzle of chocolate ganache
- Finely chopped dark chocolate
A little shaved chocolate sprinkled over the whipped cream would look especially pretty with the bright red cherry.
Black Forest-Inspired Cupcakes
Chocolate, cherries, and whipped cream are also the classic flavors associated with Black Forest cake.
For a simple Black Forest-inspired variation, fill the centers of the chocolate cupcakes with cherry pie filling before frosting.
Top with whipped cream, a cherry, and chocolate shavings.
How to Store Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
Because these cupcakes are topped with whipped cream, they need to be refrigerated.
Place the finished cupcakes in a covered cupcake container and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve them.
For the prettiest presentation, I recommend decorating them the same day you plan to serve them.
Let them sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes before serving if you don’t want the cake completely chilled.
Can I Make Them Ahead?
Yes.
Bake the chocolate cupcakes a day ahead and store them covered at room temperature once completely cooled.
Prepare the whipped cream frosting and decorate the cupcakes on the day you plan to serve them.
The cherry pie filling can also be prepared for swirling ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Easy Cupcakes That Look Bakery-Worthy
You don’t need complicated decorating techniques to make a beautiful cupcake.
These Easy Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes start with a moist chocolate cupcake and turn into something special with fluffy white whipped cream and swirls of glossy cherry pie filling.
And that single cherry sitting on top?
That’s the finishing touch that makes the whole cupcake.
They’re chocolatey, creamy, fruity, and incredibly pretty—and nobody needs to know how easy they were to make.
