Yummy and Easy Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe (Vegan and Non-Vegan Version)

Do you love chocolate and cherries? If so, you'll love black forest cupcakes! These delicious treats are made with chocolate cake and cherry filling, and they're topped with luscious buttercream frosting. They're the perfect dessert for any occasion with no need to share yours!

Black forest cupcakes are perfect for any occasion, be it a birthday, Christmas, or office party - you name it, they will be appreciated!

Although the Black Forest Gateau is traditionally German, it is loved all over the world, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, and India, where it can be purchased in numerous bakeries and stores - however, never as perfect as homemade.

This recipe is very easy to prepare and it has been tweaked to be able to accommodate more dietary requirements, without compromising on taste.

Jump to:

• Black Forest Cupcakes Ingredients
• How to make Black Forest Cupcakes
• How to make Maple Syrup Buttercream Frosting
• Decorate the Black Forest Cupcakes
• People also ask [FAQs]
• Tips and tricks
• Recipe

Black Forest Cupcakes Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Cocoa Powder: These are the dry ingredients that create the Black Forest sponge.
• Oil and Water: Wet ingredients for the sponge.
• Soda Bicarbonate, Salt, and Vinegar: These are the ingredients that will help the sponge raise and fluff!
• Maple Syrup: This is a great alternative flavoring to vanilla and will add sweetness and depth to both the sponge and the buttercream frosting.
• Sour Cherries: One of the best ingredients in the recipe!
• Cornstarch and Milk: Combined, these two ingredients will create the hardening agent for the maple syrup buttercream frosting.
• Unsalted Butter and Sugar: The perfect start to any buttercream frosting.

How to make Black Forest Cupcakes

1. Start by sifting the cocoa and flour in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the granulated sugar, salt, soda bicarbonate and mix until you obtain a uniform mix.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate jug.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones a bit at a time mixing well in between. Once they are well incorporated you will have the cupcake batter ready, which will be quite liquid compared to a traditional cake batter and this is normal as you have no butter nor eggs in the mixture.

5. Line the cupcake trays with liners and fill them with the batter; the batter should not fill more than halfway each liner.
6. Bake the cupcakes in the middle of the oven for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The oven will need to be preheated to 350F (180C FAN oven).

7. Once the cupcakes have cooled down completely on a rack, make a small hole on the top of each of them and add a sour cherry, a bit of juice and a few chocolate chips to it.

How to make Maple Syrup Buttercream Frosting

1. In a small saucepan, add the cornstarch and the milk and bring to a boil; keep the mixture simmering, while continuously stirring, until you reach a thick consistency.
2. Allow the thickening agent to completely cool down; should you want, you can move the mixture to a bowl and cover it with some cling film, and put it in the fridge.

3. In a food processor with blades, add the butter and granulated sugar, and allow to mix until the sugar completely melts in the butter; this may take up to 15 minutes.
4. Add the completely chilled hardening agent and the maple syrup and continue mixing until the buttercream frosting is fluffy and smooth.
5. Use straight away for best results; should you need to use it later, store it in the fridge in an airtight container and remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to needing it.

Decorate the Black Forest Cupcakes

People also ask [FAQs]

 

What are the best cherries and liqueur for Black Forest Cherry Torte? 

Many cherries are suitable for this German black forest cake.

If you have whole cherries, you can make a quick instant jam with them; dark cherries and black cherries give the best results as they are sweeter. To make the instant jam, remove the pit from the cherries and chop them in quarters (or smaller if liked); in a small pan on low to medium heat, add the cherries and a bit of sugar. As you cook the fresh cherries, they will release some cherry juice, which will mix with the sugar to create a delicious cherry jelly.

Maraschino cherries are not the best choice for this recipe, given their flavor and texture; should you still want to use them, I’d recommend choosing them as a decoration rather than filling.

Authentic Black Forest Cake has a dry chocolate flavor sponge (when compared to traditional American sponges, which are quite rich in butter and therefore richer and moister), which is made moist with the use of some cherry liqueur.

There are many great options to do so, however, cherry brandy tends to be one of the most popular choices as it works well with the layers of chocolate cake; if you do not have cherry liquor, then chocolate flavored liquor is another great option.

As I often prepare this to be shared in the office, I tend to wet the sponge with some of the cherry juice from the Morello cherries or I use some milk or milk alternative if going vegan.

Tips and tricks

Bear in mind this is a treat and as such, I find it easier to portion-control when dessert is prepared in mono portions rather than a whole cake; additionally, when sharing in places like the office or a party, these are much easier (and require fewer plates and forks!) to serve. Here are a few alternative ideas, if you wish to give them a go or prefer a twist to the original recipe:

• Fruit: if you are not a fan of cherries, we all know a rich chocolate cake works with almost anything! Good alternatives are raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, however, the cherry filling can also be exchanged for some chocolate spread, such as Nutella.
• Freeze: if you are preparing these cupcakes with buttercream, you can easily freeze them and defrost them when you want to eat them. As there is buttercream on top, you won't be able to use the microwave but will have to take them out of the freezer a couple of hours in advance to allow them to naturally thaw.
• Black forest cake recipes: there are many different recipes out there that claim to be the best or original version; this recipe is not the original one from the Black Forest region of Germany, but it maintains all of the flavors and - with a few tweaks here and there - the recipe is lighter and suitable for more people, such as those eating vegan, dairy-free or simply like good food!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Jay likes me to prepare these for his birthday most years and no matter what, he never gets fed up... could this be your new family favorite? Let me know!

• If you liked this Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe, you may want to check out:
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Recipe