Cherry-almond Vanilla Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup sour milk
• 1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 12 maraschino cherries, halved
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• milk
• maraschino cherry, with stems (optional)

Recipe

• 1 allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. meanwhile, line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups (or coat with cooking spray). in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. in a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.
• 2 preheat oven to 350 degrees f. in a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined. add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• 3 spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. press a cherry half into batter in each cup.
• 4 bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. remove cupcakes from muffin cups. cool completely on wire racks.
• 5 for the frosting: in a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. gradually add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, beating well. beat in maraschino cherry juice and almond extract. gradually beat in additional powdered sugar. if necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. makes 2 cups frosting.
• 6 using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe cherry-almond butter frosting over tops of cupcakes. if desired, top with cherries. makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.