The cupcakes I have made for you today, are a real treat. Amarena cherries are very popular in Germany, especially the amarena ice-cream sundae is a favorite flavor in gelaterias. Here I combined the cherries with almonds, as those two really complement each other, since Amarena cherries are soaked in Amaretto, an almond liquor. The topping is made with heavy cream instead of buttercream, which makes it a little bit lighter. These cherries can be bought either in the supermarket, or you can make them yourselves, when cherries are in season.
Amarena Cupcakes
- makes 12 cupcakes -
110 g butter, at room temperature
120 g sugar
1 tsp. pure almond extract
2 eggs
125 g flour
80 g ground almonds
1 tsp. baking powder
1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch of salt
80 g buttermilk
1 jar Amarena cherries (about 150g)
40 g slivered almonds
250 g heavy ceam
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
With a mixer cream together the butter with the sugar and almond extract. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Put the flour through a sieve and mix with the almonds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined.
Fill the dough into the paper liners in the muffin pan. Reserve 12 cherries for decoration and put the rest on top of the muffins. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
For the topping whip the cream, until medium peaks form. Add 4 tbsp. of amarena syrup (from the jar) and whip until stiff. Fill in a pastry bag with a star tip and make a swirl with the frosting on each cupcake. Top each cupcake with an amarena cherry.
With a mixer cream together the butter with the sugar and almond extract. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Put the flour through a sieve and mix with the almonds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined.
Fill the dough into the paper liners in the muffin pan. Reserve 12 cherries for decoration and put the rest on top of the muffins. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
For the topping whip the cream, until medium peaks form. Add 4 tbsp. of amarena syrup (from the jar) and whip until stiff. Fill in a pastry bag with a star tip and make a swirl with the frosting on each cupcake. Top each cupcake with an amarena cherry.
Enjoy and Guten Appetit!
