My love of all things cherry continues! Shirley Temples are THE drink to make little kids feel like grown ups. Nothing like a little 7up, ginger ale, and grenadine to make you feel like the coolest kid on earth. I used to ask for extra cherries in mine. And by “extra”, I mean ten.
My apologies that this post isn’t wordier (though I’m a less-is-more type when it comes to writing). I’m in the middle of final exams and… well… yeah. So onward with the recipe!
Shirley Temple Cupcakes
Recipe source: The Curvy Carrot [1]
1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup Cherry 7-Up, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
Red food coloring
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch salt
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
For garnish:
12 maraschino cherries with stems
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a cupcake pan with your desired paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar together and beat, on medium-high speed, until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and alternate adding half of the flour mixture and half of the Cherry 7-Up, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Repeat until the flour and Cherry 7-Up are completely added to the batter.
6. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, mixing well.
7. Place about 3/4 cup of the cupcake batter in a separate small bowl and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour, maraschino cherry juice, and red food coloring (to your desired tint).
8. Evenly distribute the red cupcake batter among your prepared liners, about 1-2 teaspoons per cupcake, gently smoothing out the batter to make sure it is flat.
9. Once the red batter is in place, evenly distribute the remaining cupcake batter among the cupcake liners, making sure not to mix the two batters.
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
1. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the pinch of salt, powdered (confectioners’) sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, lemon juice, and maraschino cherry juice, adding more powdered sugar as necessary for your desired piping consistency.
3. Pipe as desired onto your cooled cupcakes and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Makes 12 cupcakes.