Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe – Step by Step Guide: We made this cherry pie a few days ago and had some cherry pie filling leftover, so I had to use it to make these famous Black Forest cupcakes! Black Forest cake is a rich and tasty German treat made of chocolate cake, cherry filling with kirsch, and whipped cream. It’s even better as a cupcake! It looks fancy, but it’s really simple to make!
Rich chocolate cupcakes are filled with cherry Kirsch sauce and topped with whipped cream in these Black Forest cupcakes. They’re easy to make and taste so good!
Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe – Step by Step Guide
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup cake flour, substitute all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
Cherry Filling
- 2 cups cherries, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Kirsch , or other cherry liquor
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons flavorless powdered gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
Top with
- fresh cherries
- dark chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Put the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a big pot and set it over medium-low heat. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes of stirring often cooking until the cherries start to break down and the sauce starts to simmer and get thicker. Take it off the heat and add the Kirsch and vanilla. Let the cupcakes cool all the way down before you fill them.
- Can be made up to three days ahead of time and kept in the fridge in a container that keeps air out.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Warm the oven up to 350°F and put cupcake liners in a 12-cup pan.
- In a big bowl, mix the salt, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and flour together using a whisk.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and melted butter together in a different bowl until they are all mixed.
- Toss in about half of the flour mix. Then add the milk and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until everything is well mixed.
- The cupcake liners should be about half full after adding about ¼ cup of batter to each one.
- For 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean, bake at 350°F.
- Take it out of the pan and set it on a wire rack to cool.
- Before filling, let the cupcakes cool all the way down.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Put the water in a bowl that can go in the microwave, and then put the plain gelatin on top of it. Leave it alone for a while.
- Put the gelatin mixture in the microwave and heat it for 5 to 10 seconds, or until the gelatin is completely broken up. Move the mixture to a safe place to cool a bit after stirring it.
- Mix the heavy whipped cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once the mixture begins to thicken and soft peaks appear, lower the speed of the mixer. Add the gelatin liquid slowly and mix on low until everything is well mixed. Speed up the mixer to medium and keep mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Note: Put the gelatin liquid back in the microwave for three to five seconds if it gets too thick before you add it to the whipped cream. It should be thick enough to pour.Â
Assembly
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, use a cupcake corer to take out the middle of each one. Throw away (this time I mean snack on while you finish making the cupcakes).
- Use a spoon to put the cool cherry filling into each cupcake.
- Stabilized whipped cream should be put into an icing bag with a 1A tip. Swirls should be piped on each cupcake.
- Add crushed dark chocolate and a fresh cherry on top.
Nutrition
- Serving:Â 1
- Calories:Â 397 kcal
- Carbohydrates:Â 44g
- Protein:Â 4g
- Fat:Â 24g
- Saturated Fat:Â 15g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol:Â 106mg
- Sodium: 188mg
- Potassium: 170mg
- Fiber:Â 2g
- Sugar:Â 29g
- Vitamin A:Â 879IU
- Vitamin C:Â 2mg
- Calcium:Â 77mg
- Iron:Â 1mg
FAQ
Q1. How long will these black forest cupcakes last?
These cupcakes are best eaten the same day, but will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, they taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. Wait to top with fresh cherries until right before serving.
Q2. Why are they called Black Forest cupcakes?
Kirsch is a German cherry liqueur that is added to the cherry filling and sometimes brushed over the cake. Kirsch is the defining ingredient that makes something “Black Forest” flavor.
Q3. Can I use frozen cherries?
Q4. How do you make chocolate shavings?
Using a vegetable peeler, gently shave the edge of a chocolate bar for narrow curls or the side of a chocolate bar for wider curls. I like to store chocolate curls in a container in the freezer so that they stay fresh and don’t melt!