Almond Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream

Okay, so I know I promised I had some more fall flavored cupcakes, but this recipe is a special recipe.  I promise I still have some fall cupcakes on my to-do list, and trust me, they will be worth the wait!

Anyways, these cupcakes are for my Mom's birthday.  Like me, my Mom has a huge sweet tooth.  She prides herself in the ability to eat a quart of ice cream in two days (impressive, I know).  Her absolute favorite ice cream is the vanilla flavored ice cream with large chunks of maraschino cherries.  These cupcakes are inspired by her favorite flavor.

Now - let's cut to the chase.  The ingredients are

Cupcake
- 1 box of white cake mix
- 1/3 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of water
- 4 eggs (two whole and 2 yolks only)
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Frosting
- 1 cup of melted unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 20-25 maraschino cherries, drained overnight and diced
- 3-4 TBSP of juice from maraschino cherries

Garnish (optional)
- Sliced almonds (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 TBSP of warmed honey
- Confectioner's suger

For the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 ° and line 24 cupcake liners. Mix your cake mix with the melted butter and water on about medium speed.  Mix until smooth.  Add in eggs one at a time while mixing on medium-low.  Then add in your almond and vanilla extract.  Mix on medium for about a minute or until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Here is a picture of what your mix should look like:

 Fill your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, or follow the instructions on your box.  They should be a nice golden color.

For the frosting, whip your room temperature butter for about 3-4 minutes on medium speed. It should become light and fluffy.  Drop to a low speed and add in your sugar one cup at a time.  Add in your salt and vanilla extract. Up the speed to a medium high and a mix for about 1 minute.   Add in your chopped cherries.  Please note, you must strain them overnight.  They will carry a lot of unwanted moisture and your chunks will end up being soggy.  I also blotted them with a paper towel once I diced them to get rid of any excess moisture.  Lastly, add in your cherry juice 1 tbsp at a time until you get your desired taste. Continue to mix on medium for another 30 seconds or so to make sure your ingredients are mixed well. 

To frost them, I used a piping bag with no tip.  With the piping pack straight up and down, start in the middle and work your way in a counter-clockwise position around the cupcake.

For the garnish, toast your almonds on medium high heat until they are slightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.  Make sure to keep them moving so they do not burn.  Take the almonds off the heat and stir in your honey.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Add about a pinch or so to each cupcake.  Lastly, I sifted powdered sugar on top.

Eat and enjoy!