Cherry Pie Cupcakes
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White cupcakes with a tangy red cherry pie filling inside! These easy-to-make cupcakes have a delectably moist and tender crumb, and are baked with a sweet jammy filling made with canned red cherries.
Say the word “cherries” and I’ll be right over! Who doesn’t love to bite into a ripe red cherry on a summer day? A ripe, red cherry explodes with juice and tastes both sour and sweet at the same time.
But what do you do when fresh cherries aren’t in season? That’s when canned cherries come into play — the convenience of cherries that are packed at their peak of ripeness means you can whip up a batch of these cupcakes anytime.
These vanilla cupcakes are a go-to recipe in my house, and once you make a batch you’ll see why. They have the ultimate moist and tender crumb, with just the right amount of vanilla and almond flavors that pair perfectly with the thick and juicy cherry filling.
- To make the cherry filling for the cupcakes, combine a can of drained cherries with 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat. The juices will quickly simmer and evaporate, creating a glossy jam-like consistency.
- To fill the inside of the cupcakes, portion some of the batter into the muffin cups. Divide the filling evenly into each cup, then top with the remaining cupcake batter and bake.
Spoon cherry filling over the cupcake batter. 
Top with remaining batter and bake.
They’re wonderful as an everyday cupcake, but also just what you want to celebrate a special day like Mother’s Day. Kids will love to help decorate each homemade cupcake with a swirl of frosting and one plump cherry on top!
Cherry Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 14.5 ounce can (411 g) unsweetened cherries, drained
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Cupcakes
- 1 ⅓ (165 g) cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (195 g) + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 whole large egg
- ½ cup (125 ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces (120 g) plain cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (180 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) heavy cream or milk
Equipment
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Combine the cherries, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cherries have softened and the mixture is thickened and pulls away from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the extract. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Note: The filling can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 (175C) degrees, with the oven racks arranged in the center. Place liners in a 12-cup muffin pan, or spray with non-stick spray and lightly dust with flour.
- Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in an electric mixer on low speed with the paddle attachment. Add the cubes of butter and increase the speed to medium. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add the egg whites, whole egg, buttermilk and extracts. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Portion 2 tablespoons of the batter evenly into the muffins cups. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the remaining batter over the filling.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks too thick, add some of the cream a little bit at a time, until the mixture resembles soft whipped cream.
- Spread the frosting over each cupcake (you can also put it in a piping bag fitted with a plain tip). Top each cupcake with a cherry, if desired.
Notes
- Refrigerate the filled and frosted cupcakes up to 1 day.
- Bake the cupcakes up to 3 days ahead of serving. Keep them in a covered container at room temperature. Fill and frost when ready to serve.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
