Black Forest Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons cherry juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cherries for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard cupcake tin with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together until smooth.
4. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Carefully stir in the boiling water.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
9. In another bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, cherry juice, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
10. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, use a cupcake corer or a knife to remove the center of each cupcake. Fill each cavity with a generous spoonful of whipped cream filling.
11. Pipe the cherry frosting on top of each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
12. Top each cupcake with a cherry and a drizzle of chocolate sauce if desired.