CHERRY AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD CUPCAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the Amish friendship bread starter, eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 cup milk, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour and cherry gelatin powder. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening with butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, and add the vanilla extract. Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, stopping often to scrape down the sides of the bowl; mix in the milk, and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Spread on cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle each cupcake with a few white chocolate chips, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Bring cherries, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Remove 2 tablespoons of cherry juice from the pot and place in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove compote from heat and cool completely. Measure out 1 cup for the cupcake batter. Reserve remaining compote, about 6 tablespoons, for the frosting.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line or grease two standard 12-cup muffin tins.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour in 1/2 of the sour cream and cooled coffee; mix until just combined.
• Continue alternating additions of the flour mixture with sour cream and coffee, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until batter is smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1 cup cherry compote. Fill each prepared muffin cup 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in the tins for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare cherry buttercream while the cupcakes are cooling. Beat butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of cherry compote and beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Repeat twice more with remaining cherry compote, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream and beat until frosting is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spread or pipe frosting over the cooled cupcakes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
• Combine the cake flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in 1 medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add the vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides using a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the batter until smooth and no lumps are present.
• De-stem the maraschino cherries and squeeze out the excess liquid. Using a food processor, mince the cherries using the pulse button. Do not over process. Add the minced cherries, cherry juice, and white chocolate chips to the batter. Incorporate the ingredients completely using a spatula. Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Bake until golden brown and light and fluffy, 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
• To assemble: Place a round tip # 809 into a large piping bag. Fill the piping bag with Casey's Buttercream and generously pipe onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 1 maraschino cherry and 5 large pearls. Finish by sprinkling edible glitter over the tops of the cupcakes.
• In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening together. On first speed, add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl in 3 parts. Let each part incorporate into the butter mixture before adding the next. After adding all the sugar, put the mixer on the fourth (highest) speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes. The buttercream will begin to gain volume and look white and fluffy. Once you bring the buttercream to full volume, add the extracts and vodka and incorporate completely.

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix, butter, eggs, and cranberry-cherry juice with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl. Beat for 2 minutes on medium. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each prepared muffin cup. Spoon 1 teaspoon cherry pie filling on batter in each cup and top with another 1 tablespoon cupcake batter.
• Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups and cool completely on wire rack.
• For frosting: Place the white baking chips in a medium bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat until nearly boiling. Pour the hot mixture over the white baking chips; stir until completely smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the cream mixture into the white frosting until well mixed; set aside.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the semisweet chocolate chips on medium for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Place the maraschino cherries on paper towels to dry. Dip each dry cherry into melted semisweet chocolate and place on waxed paper-lined baking sheet until chocolate hardens.
• Frost each cupcake with white chocolate frosting and top with a chocolate-covered cherry.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKES OR ICING

Steps:

• Prepare, bake and cool cupcakes.
• Melt 2 1/4 c white chocolate chips, cool slightly.
• On medium speed, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate, vanilla, confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Chill until thickened (approx 15 mins).
• Spoon jam or filling until freezer bag. Snip 1/4" hole in one corner. Insert bag tip 1" deep into center top of each cupcake. Squeeze 1 Tbs jam into each.
• Transfer frosting into pastry bag fitted with decorative tip and pipe over cupcakes.
• Optional topping:.
• Sprinkle with edible glitter or red sprinkles and white chocolate shavings from chocolate bar. Melt remaining white chocolate and barely dip fresh cherries into mixture. Cool and set atop each cupcake.