Soft, fluffy, and loaded with real cherry flavor, these maraschino cherry cupcakes are the kind of thing you bake once and keep coming back to. The batter is pale and delicate, dotted with finely chopped cherries, and the smell when they come out of the oven? Sweet, fruity, a little warm, like something a bakery would charge twice what they're worth.
If you've ever loved my Peach Cobbler Cheesecake Bars, you know I love a fruity bake, and this one might be my favorite yet. And the almond cherry buttercream on top? It's creamy, glossy, and tastes like spring, like something you'd find in a fancy little cake shop window.
Why You'll Love These Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
These Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes are soft, fruity, and genuinely hard to stop at one. The batter uses both butter and oil together, which is the little trick that keeps them moist and tender even a couple days after baking. Real chopped cherries are folded right into the batter, so you get little sweet bursts in every single bite, not just a hint of fruit flavor from an extract.
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Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Ingredients
Here's a look at what goes into these homemade Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes before you get started.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
Cherry Cupcakes
- Butter: Softened butter gives the cupcakes richness and that tender, close crumb. Regular or dairy-free both work here.
- Oil: Adding oil alongside butter is the trick that keeps these soft cupcakes moist for days. Canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or sunflower oil all work.
- Egg whites: Using just the whites keeps the texture light and fluffy instead of heavy or dense.
- Maraschino cherry juice: This is the secret flavor boost. It goes straight into the batter and gives the cupcakes that sweet cherry flavor all the way through.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the cherry flavor and adds a soft warmth.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps the cupcakes bake up with a slight golden edge.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the recipe, giving the cupcakes structure without making them tough.
- Cornstarch: Mixed with the flour, cornstarch softens the crumb and keeps things light.
- Baking powder: Gives the cupcakes their lift so they bake up tall and domed.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings all the other flavors forward.
- Milk of choice: Adds moisture and helps everything come together smoothly. Regular or dairy-free both work.
- Maraschino cherries: Chopped very small and folded into the batter. They add little bursts of sweet cherry in every bite.
Cherry Buttercream
- Butter: The base of the frosting. Softened butter makes it light and whippable. Regular or dairy-free both work.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to the frosting flavor.
- Almond extract: This is the thing that makes the buttercream taste like something special. It gives a soft, bakery-style flavor that pairs beautifully with cherry.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it body. Add it gradually to get the right consistency.
- Maraschino cherry juice: Just a tablespoon, but it adds a soft pink color and a real cherry note to the frosting.
- Salt: Keeps the buttercream from tasting too sweet.
How to Make Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
Just a few things to note before you get started: make sure your butter is properly softened, and chop those cherries small enough that they don't sink to the bottom.
Cherry Cupcakes
Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake tin with 12 liners. Set it aside while you mix the batter.
Beat the butter and oil: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and oil together until they're combined. Then add the maraschino cherry juice, egg whites, and vanilla extract and mix again.
Add the sugar: Mix in the granulated sugar until fully incorporated.
Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.
Combine wet and dry: Alternate adding the milk and the dry ingredient mixture to the batter, a little at a time, mixing until everything is just combined.
Fold in the cherries: Add the chopped maraschino cherries and fold them gently through the batter until they're evenly distributed.
Fill and bake: Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full. Bake for 13-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool: Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes before taking them out. While they cool, start the buttercream.
Cherry Buttercream
Start the frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, maraschino cherry juice, salt, and a quarter cup of powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy.
Add the sugar gradually: Keep adding the powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time, beating between each addition, until the buttercream reaches the consistency you want. Too thick? Add half a tablespoon of milk. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time.
Frost and enjoy: Pipe or spread the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate however you'd like.
Substitutions and Swaps
Butter: Any dairy-free butter substitute works in both the cupcakes and the frosting.
Milk: Use any milk you have, dairy or non-dairy. Oat milk, almond milk, and soy milk all work fine here.
Oil: Canola, vegetable, grapeseed, and sunflower oil are all interchangeable.
Almond extract: If you're not a fan of almond flavor, swap it for more vanilla extract. The frosting will taste different but still delicious.
Food coloring: Natural maraschino cherries without artificial coloring won't turn the batter pink. A few drops of red food coloring in the batter or frosting will give you that pretty blush pink color if you want it.
Equipment For Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
- Cupcake tin - standard 12-cup
- Cupcake liners
- Mixing bowls - at least two
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment
- Spatula for folding and scraping
- Piping bag or offset spatula for the frosting
Storage Tips For
Room temperature: Store the frosted Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. They stay soft and moist.
Buttercream storage: If you have leftover cherry buttercream, spoon it into an airtight container and freeze it for up to 2 months. When you're ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then re-whip it with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it's fluffy again.
Serving Suggestions
These Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes are lovely on their own, but here are a few ways to make them feel extra special:
- Serve them at a birthday party alongside a tall glass of cold lemonade or cherry punch.
- Top each one with a whole maraschino cherry before serving for that classic look.
- Set them out on a dessert table next to my Espresso Brownies for a fun mix of flavors.
- For a spring brunch, arrange them on a cake stand with fresh flowers tucked around the base. Very pretty, very easy.
Expert Tips
Measure your flour correctly. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, or use a kitchen scale. Packed flour makes the cupcakes dense.
Don't overfill the liners. Two-thirds full is the sweet spot. More than that and they'll overflow.
FAQ
How do you make maraschino cherry cupcakes?
Start by beating butter and oil together, then add the cherry juice, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix in the sugar, alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, fold in chopped cherries, and bake for 13-17 minutes at 350°F. While they cool, whip up the almond cherry buttercream and frost away. My daughter always sneaks one before I'm done piping, so I try to frost them fast.
Can you put maraschino cherries in cupcakes?
Yes, and they're wonderful in there. The key is chopping them very fine so they distribute evenly through the batter without sinking. Pat them dry first if they seem very wet. The cherry juice also goes right into the batter for even more flavor.
What can I make with maraschino cherries?
So many things! They're great in cupcakes like these, folded into a cherry buttercream frosting, blended into cocktails, layered into a fruit tart, or even stirred into a vanilla ice cream base. If you love fruity bakes, you might also love this Passionfruit Tart for something a little different.
How do you make cherry buttercream?
Beat softened butter with a little powdered sugar, then add vanilla extract, almond extract, maraschino cherry juice, and salt. Keep adding powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. If it gets too thick, a splash of milk loosens it right up. Jackeline said this is the best frosting she's ever eaten, and she's had a lot of frosting.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and place 12 cupcake liners into a muffin tin.
- Beat the softened butter and oil together with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle until smooth and blended.
- Add the cherry juice, egg whites, and vanilla, then mix until the liquid ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Blend in the granulated sugar until the mixture is uniform.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.
- Add the milk and dry mixture gradually in alternating additions, mixing gently after each addition just until the batter comes together.
- Fold the finely chopped cherries through the batter until they are evenly dispersed.
- Divide the batter among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 13-17 minutes, checking with a toothpick for a clean or nearly clean result.
- Allow the cupcakes to rest in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Beat the softened butter with the vanilla, almond extract, cherry juice, salt, and a small portion of the powdered sugar until creamy.
- Gradually incorporate the remaining powdered sugar in small additions until the buttercream reaches a smooth, spreadable consistency. If it becomes too thick, blend in milk a little at a time; if too loose, add additional powdered sugar gradually.
- Pipe or spread the cherry buttercream over the completely cooled cupcakes and decorate as desired.
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