Cupcake Tutorial: Cherry Vanilla

The "cherry vanilla cupcake" at the bakery is fairly popular.  It's got a complicated look to it, but it's really quite simple to make.  Let me show you how....  As always, start by taking out the core of the cupcake with a cutter.  If you don't have a cutter, you can use an apple coring tool.

Now it's time for the filling.  I use a spoon to scoop out 3 to 4 cherries from a container of cherry pie filling.  I try to get a lot of cherries and not just the "gel" around them.  

Next I use a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe a rosette on the top of the cupcake, covering the top completely with vanilla buttercream.  I start in the center and swirl outwards.

Now it's time to make it a winning cupcake...by adding sprinkles...because "sprinkles are for winners!!!"

Next, let's make the top of the cupcake pretty by showcasing a cherry or two.  Using a spoon, take 1 to 2 cherries and a little of the surrounding "gel" from the pie filling and place them on the top of the cupcake in the center.

Using the same piping bag with the Wilton 1M tip, create a circle of icing around the cherries on top. This will give a little height to the cupcake.

Now for the final garnish....the chocolate drizzle!  Melt some chocolate in a piping bag and cut a tiny opening in the tip of the bag.  Moving your hands in a right-to-left motion, drizzle the chocolate horizontally across the top of the cupcake so several horizontal lines of chocolate drop onto the cupcake.

Finally, do the same thing with the chocolate drizzle, only this time go vertically.  You could also rotate the cupcake and repeat the horizontal motion.  The end result is a drizzle in both directions.

Now you have a beautiful cherry vanilla cupcake with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate drizzle garnish.  A beautiful cupcake that looks really complicated but is oh so easy.... enjoy!!!