Black Forest Cupcakes

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Mix in sour cream and vanilla until blended.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add half of dry ingredients, mixing only until just incorporated.

Add buttermilk and mix until blended.

Add remaining dry ingredients mixing until just incorporated. Be careful to avoid overmixing.

Divide batter evenly among 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 10 minutes then rotate pan in oven and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Be careful to avoid overbaking.

Place cupcake pan on a wire rack until cooled completely then fill cupcakes with cherry syrup.

Cherry Syrup

Add the cherries, cornstarch, sugar and water to a medium saucepan.

Heat over medium heat, stirring until syrup thickens.

Remove pan from the heat and cool while cupcakes bake.

After cupcakes have cooled completely, use a metal icing tip to remove a hole in the center of each cupcake top. Fill with each with a tablespoon of cherry filling then pipe with whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

Combine heavy cream and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Pipe whipped cream onto cupcakes. Garnish with cherries and chocolate shavings.

Serve immediately or cover loosely and refrigerate up to 2 days.