I'm a huge fan of sour cherries desserts, and that's because I grew up with the classic fluffy cherry sponge cake, which is still one of the most frequently baked cakes in Romanian's kitchens during summers.
Did you know?
* Sour Cherries are said to be native to northern Iran and Turkmenistan, and to have been brought to Europe by birds long before people discovered Europe.
* There are more than 270 varieties of cherries worldwide.
* Sour cherries have a higher acidity, which is why they taste sour.
* There are approximately 50 calories in 100g of sour cherries.
Recipe
*for 14-16 cupcakes
Ingredients for muffin batter:
150g sugar
120g butter (min 82% fat) at room temperature
2 large eggs
200g all purpose flour
140ml buttermilk
10g baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
Ingredients for sour cherries jelly:
200g sour cherries (frozen or fresh)
80ml water
15g corn starch
70g white sugar
Ingredients for frosting:
300g Philadelphia cream cheese
150ml heavy cream
70g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, or you can use vanilla)
Ingredients for chocolate ganache:
60g dark chocolate (50-55% cocoa)
60ml heavy cream
Steps to follow:
(1) Prepare the muffin dough:
Mix the flour with baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Remove the butter to room temperature at least 30-40 minutes before, in order to get soft. With the help of a mixer (hand or vertical), mix the butter with the sugar and vanilla, for a few minutes until the composition becomes smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next one.
Add half of the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture and incorporate well. Add the buttermilk and incorporate again well.
At the end, add the rest of the flour and mix until we get a smooth and consistent batter.
Prepare a muffin tray with muffin liners (baking paper). Add about an ice cream scoop of dough into each baking mold, taking care not to fill them to much to the top, in order for the muffin to have room to rise without spilling out of the mold.
Place the muffin tray in the oven for 20-22 minutes at 180C without fan, or until they become golden and pass the toothpick test.
After they are baked, remove the muffins on a wire rack and let them cool completely at room temperature.
Note:
*Don't add the butter milk before the flour just to save a step, because the composition will curdle. At the same time don't add all the flour at the beginning because the dough would be too hard to handle.
*Proceeding as in the instructions in order to get a smooth and airy dough, perfect for some fluffy muffins.
(2) Prepare the sour cherries jelly:
Mix the sugar with the corn starch in a non-stick pan and add the water and the sour cherries. Place the pan on medium heat and stir continuously until you get a consistency similar to a thick jam (2-3 minutes after the first boil). In the video below you can see the consistency of the jelly fresh off the heat. If the jelly seems thicker, you can add 1-2 more tablespoons of water and boil for a few more seconds.
Pour the hot jelly into a bowl and cover the jelly with plastic wrap to prevent in order to not form a crust while cooling. Let the jelly cool to room temperature completely before filling the cupcakes.
(3) To prepare the frosting, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. The heavy cream should be cold from the refrigerator. Mix the ingredients at high speed until the cream thickens and becomes consistent. Transfer the cream in a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice, I opted for the star one.
(4) Prepare the chocolate ganache. Heat the whipping cream to the boiling point and pour it over the broken chocolate. We wait 1-2 minutes and then mix until you get a smooth ganache.
Pour the ganache into a piping bag without cutting the tip. Similarly we can make a small cone out of baking paper, which is just as practical to decorate cupcakes.
Note:
* It is important not to leave the ganache too long after preparing it, because it will harden and it will be difficult to decorate the cupcakes with it. I usually prepare it right after I put the frosting on the cupcakes (while you make the ganache, transfer the cupcakes to the fridge for a few minutes, so that the frosting won't get too soft).
* If you want a simpler option , you can sprinkle dark chocolate flakes or grate dark chocolate over them. However, dark chocolate is very important, because it perfectly complements the final taste of our dessert.
(5) Start assembling the cupcakes.
Make a hole in the center of each muffin, for the cherry filling.
Place 1-2 teaspoons of jelly in the center of each muffin.
Decorate each cupcake with the previously prepared frosting.
Cut the tip of the piping bag (with the chocolate ganache prepared before) and pour the chocolate in a thin thread over the cupcakes.
Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Happy Baking!
Love,
G.
