Black Forest Cupcakes Recipe

Course: cupcakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 38

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 382kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These Black Forest cupcakes are chocolate cherry delights made with chocolate cake mix and filled with sweet cherry pie filling. Topped with stabilized whipped cream frosting and chocolate shavings, these cherry-filled cupcakes are easy to make, shareable, and perfect for holidays, parties, or any chocolate cherry craving.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Cupcake Tin
Hand Mixer
Piping Tip Set

Ingredients

13.25 ounces chocolate cake mix (1 box)*
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

For the Filling

1 cup cherry pie filling

For the Frosting

2 cups heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
3.3 ounces white chocolate instant pudding mix (1 box)

For the Toppings

1 chocolate bar shaved
12 bing cherries stemless and pitted (from 1 jar)

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with cupcake wrappers or spray the wells with a nonstick baking spray.
13.25 ounces chocolate cake mix, 1 cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs
Mix the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs together in a bowl until smooth.
Scoop batter into each of the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ of the way full.
Bake for 17-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before moving onto the filling.

For the Filling

To fill the cupcakes, use a knife, piping tip, or melon baller to carve out a shallow well from the center of the cupcake.
1 cup cherry pie filling
Fill each of the wells with the cherry pie filling. Set aside.

For the Frosting

Place a stainless steel mixing bowl into the freezer for 20-30 minutes before preparing the frosting.
Once chilled, add the heavy cream to the bowl and use a hand mixer to mix on high just until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t overmix.
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until it comes together, stopping just before it starts to form stiff peaks, about 1 minute.
⅓ cup powdered sugar
Add the pudding mix and continue mixing on a low speed for another 30 seconds, just until it’s all combined.
3.3 ounces white chocolate instant pudding mix
Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip. Frost the cupcakes as desired.
For the chocolate shavings, use a vegetable peeler and run it along the side of a chocolate bar. Top with a bing or maraschino cherry.
12 bing cherries , 1 chocolate bar

Video

Notes

*You can use a variety of chocolate cake mixes here, including dark chocolate or German chocolate.

Tips:

I used a cookie portion scoop to evenly divide the cupcake batter.
I like using a melon baller to scoop from the cupcakes so I don't go too deep. If you scoop too far, the filling could ooze out the bottom.
For an authentic Black Forest flavor, stir a splash of Kirsch or almond liqueur into your cherry pie filling before using it.
Fill the cupcakes before chilling them. If the cupcakes are too cold, the cherry filling won’t soak in slightly; too warm, and it can sink or melt the crumb. Aim for room temp.
I was able to fit 3-4 cherries in the hole of each cupcake.
Chilling the bowl and beaters helps the whipped cream whip faster and stay stable longer, especially if your kitchen is warm.
Once you add the pudding mix, take care not to overmix the frosting, as it can quickly curdle.
Use the frosting right away. It tends to thicken the longer it sits, making it harder to pipe.
I used the Wilton 1M tip to frost these cupcakes, but a Ziplock bag with the corner cut off also works well.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cupcakes up to 3 days ahead (store at room temp), fill them up to 2 days ahead (refrigerated), and frost them up to 1 day ahead (also refrigerated).

Storage: Store Black Forest cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can freeze the unfilled, unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months.

Nutrition