Boozy Black Cherry Cupcakes
Boozy black cherry cupcakes are a fun, easy dessert you can bring to any adult party. I made this batch for a Halloween themed event and they were perfect! The black cherry flavor is perfectly balanced and pairs beautifully with the black cocoa cupcake.
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Booze & Spirits
A friend of mine came up with this adorable mixology style party and called it Booze & Spirits. So adorable! One of the drinks we made, the Vampire’s Bite, inspired me to make these boozy black cherry cupcakes.
I knew I’d add the liquor to a batch of black cherry buttercream, but then I had to decide on the cupcake base. To go with the theme, I opted for black cupcakes. Spooky and delicious!
Boozy Black Cherry Buttercream
To get the black cherry flavor, I used a combo of black cherry vodka and a few drops of black cherry flavoring. You do not need to use both, if you don’t want to. If you are just using the flavoring, a plain vodka will do. If you are just using black cherry vodka, you can skip the flavoring, though the flavor will not be as strong.
For the color, I used The Sugar Art Master Elite powders for the first time! I mixed a smidge of burgundy with the vodka, then added a few drops of red gel color. Since this was my first time using this powder color, I used the starting amount. Feel free to try for a darker, more intense color.
How Boozy Are They?
These are boozy black cherry cupcakes, but there’s only about 2 tablespoons of vodka in the entire batch of buttercream. And I had a good bit of leftover frosting too!
This frosting will not inebriate you or cause any level of intoxication, as far as I can tell. However, they absolutely do contain alcohol, so obviously do not serve these to children or anyone abstaining from alcohol.
Top Tips for American Buttercream
- Beat the butter alone on a medium speed for 8- 10 minutes to get it super pale and fluffy.
- Once you begin adding the powdered sugar, never go above a medium speed to avoid too many air bubbles.
- Add a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness.
Related Video: Make Creamy American Buttercream
Spooky Black Cocoa Cupcakes
If you’ve never used it, black cocoa tastes like the cookie part of an Oreo. It’s a yummy, though interesting flavor. I’m still figuring out what it pairs with. Since I didn’t want a super intense black cocoa flavor, I used half regular cocoa powder as well. A few drops of black gel ensures an intensely dark cupcake.
This is just a variation of my vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe. You can watch my video recipe to see just how easy they are to make. They are soft, moist, and have a wonderful flavor. Just note, this batter is very liquidy.
Top Tips for Cupcakes
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help everything blend nicely and give your cupcakes a nice texture.
- Do NOT over mix. Once you add the wet and dry ingredients, stir only to combine.
- Place some dried rice (½ – 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each cupcake cavity before adding your paper cases.
- Use a large cookie scoop to perfectly portion your cupcake batter.
Finishing Touches
I loooove using my Ateco 888 piping tip for cupcakes, but I just can’t leave them alone. They must have a little jazz to cover up the end of the piping. This time around, we’re leaning into the black cherry vibes.
Melt some black candy melts, pour in a piping bag, and drizzle over one side of the cupcake. Immediately top with your favorite sprinkles! I used black jimmies and a pink sprinkle mix. You do you though.
Related Reading: Milk Tea Cupcakes with Boba
Enjoy!
Who’da thunk that boozy black cherry buttercream and black cocoa cupcakes would be such a tasty pair! The spooky vibes from this recipe are perfect to make in the Fall, but you’ll want to eat them all year long.
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Boozy Black Cherry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 Tbsps cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsps black cocoa powder
- 1 cup hot water*
- 4.5 oz all- purpose flour
- 2 oz cake flour
- 7 oz sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5 Tbsps canola oil
Boozy Black Cherry Buttercream
- 8 oz unsalted butter softened
- 16 oz powdered sugar sifted
- 2 Tbsps black cherry vodka
- 1/32 tsp burgundy powder color optional
- 4 drops black cherry flavoring
- 4 drops red gel color optional
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Black Cocoa Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Fill cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
- Sift cocoa powders into a medium bowl and add hot water. Stir until combined. Set the chocolate mixture aside. Sift flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a medium or large bowl. Set aside.
- Add vinegar, vanilla, and oil to the chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Gently stir until combined.
- Use a scoop to dispense the batter evenly in the cupcake pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched.
- Cool in the pan for 5- 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Boozy Black Cherry Buttercream
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 8- 10 minutes, scraping the bowl down halfway through.
- Add half of the powdered sugar. Combine one tablespoon of vodka with the powdered color (if using). Add that to the bowl as well. Beat on low until combined, then on medium for a minute or two, or until creamy.
- Add the remaining sugar, another tablespoon of vodka, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low until combined, then on medium for a minute or two, or until creamy. Add the black cherry flavoring and red gel color. Beat to combine. Allow the color to develop for at least 30 minutes before adding any more.
- Taste and adjust flavor and consistency, if necessary. Your frosting is ready to pipe!
Notes
- You could also use hot coffee for a more intense flavor.
- This is a half batch frosting recipe. It makes enough to frost 12- 16 cupcakes. Double the recipe to cover a full sized cake.
- If desired, drizzle with melted black candy melts and top with sprinkles.
- For mini cupcakes, bake 15 minutes at 350F.
My Favorite Products For This Recipe
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
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