Revisiting Cherry Bomb Cupcakes

Put some sizzle in your holiday baking with Cherry Bomb Cupcakes.  The recipe was first posted in 2014 https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2014/06/cherry-bomb-cupcakes.html
A cherry was added to the chocolate batter and frosted with a confectioners frosting and decorated.  
A great cupcake recipe. 

This go around a southern buttermilk red velvet cupcake batter was used with a cream cheese frosting.  Both recipes worked well. See what you think.

We were celebrating my husband's birthday and he loves anything chocolate 

  Buttermilk Southern Red Velvet Cupcakes  

A 13 x 9 pan can also be used, sprinkling crushed pecans over the cream cheese frosting. I must say this was one of the best Red Velvet cakes I have ever tasted. It was a moist and fluffy cake. Using 2 TB. of food coloring does give it a rich red color. No need to use a whole bottle of red which some recipes suggest. Store cake or cupcakes in refrigerator and recipe makes 15 cupcakes. 
For decorating cupcakes drain 15 maraschino cherries on a paper towel. Add cherries and flags just before serving. Paper flags were purchased at Michaels. 
Ingredients:

• 2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1- 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp.fine salt
• 4 heaping tsp. cocoa powder
• 1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (fluid) at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 TB.red food coloring (1 ounce)
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Cream Cheese Frosting-recipe below
• Crushed pecans or walnuts for garnish 

 Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and flour 2 round cake pans, a 13 x 9 pan or use cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
• In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Using a mixer blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
• If using cake pans:Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake until the cake pulls away from the side and the center of the the cakes come out clean using a toothpick about 16-18 minutes.
• If using a 13 x 9 pan bake 22 minutes.. Cupcakes check at 15 minutes. 
• Cool cake in pans for 6 minutes and then invert each cake  onto a plate lined with wax paper and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely before frosting.
• For a 13 x 9 pan leave cake in pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1-3 oz. package softened cream cheese
• 3 TB. softened butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 2 TB. drained cherry juice

 Directions:
Beat all ingredients until smooth -add in more milk if needed for correct consistency.