Cherry Surprise Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Ganache

These cupcakes are so delicious that while I am frosting them with ganache, my husband and son are eating them as soon as I’ve frosted them. They’re really that addictive so if you actually want to serve them for a party or guests, make them when no one else is around.

Cake

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 15-oz. package yellow cake mix or gluten-free yellow baking mix
  • 1 cup or about ½ of 21-ounce can cherry pie filling (reserve the rest for other uses like topping ice cream or oatmeal)
  • 12 cupcake liners

Dark Chocolate Ganache

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a standing mixer, pour in ½ cup heavy cream, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on low until well combined, or about 2 minutes.  Add cake mix, and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Place about 1 rounded tablespoon cake mixture into the bottom of 12 cupcake liners of the pan. (If not using cupcake liners, grease each muffin tin.)
  3. Place ½ rounded tablespoon of cherry pie filling (about 2 to 3 cherries plus sauce) in the middle of each cupcake. Top with 1 rounded tablespoon of cake mixture, being careful to seal the cherry filling in between the layers.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, and let cool about 5 minutes so that you can remove them from the muffin pan.
  5. Microwave ½ cup of cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 to 45 seconds, being careful that it doesn’t bubble over.
  6. Pour cream over chocolate chips, which should be in a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl. Whisk until smooth, about 5 minutes.  If a few chips refuse to completely melt, microwave ganache mixture for 10 to 15 seconds, and whisk until smooth. 
  7. Dip the cupcakes into the ganache mixture. You can do this by holding each cupcake gently, then swirling each into the ganache.  You will have some ganache leftover, which can be used to dip cookies or as a drizzle for fruit. You can also use the ganache as hot fudge on top of ice cream.