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Valentines Cupcakes – Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Cupcakes

Who’s ready for my first post of the year?! Not only is it a fresh new year, my upcoming cupcake book, Cupcakery, is complete and off to the editors! Naturally, we should probably celebrate with cupcakes here on the blog. Which is perfect because today we also celebrated my husband’s promotion at work, and the guys requested I bring in cupcakes. I had been wanting to make him a chocolate amaretto cupcake f-o-r-e-v-e-r so this worked out perfectly, not to mention are these not the perfect Valentines cupcakes! Yes, Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it. To be honest, it’s not that he’s an amaretto drinker, or even really a drinker at all – but every time I make ANYTHING with almond flavoring he says, “That tastes just like amaretto!” Well since it’s an almond liquor…ha! Since he always seemed to love almond treats so much, I knew I had to make him real amaretto cupcakes.

Valentines Cupcakes - Chocolate Cherry Amaretto

Just one problem. I really dislike almond. I don’t drink liquor, and I really really dislike cherry (his second request). (unless it’s pie filling totally different flavor). So I knew this was going to be a challenge for me. Sometimes one of the biggest struggles as a baker is to stretch out of your comfort zone to make the others around you happy. But it’s certainly hard when you yourself don’t care for the flavors you’re creating! However, I knew I was planning on pairing the two with chocolate. So there was hope.

I can honestly say, I loved how these boozy cupcakes turned out. I started with a spruced up cake mix with amaretto baked right in. Then filled with cherry pie filling, and topped with a chocolate buttercream lightly infused with amaretto. The cake came out awesome – right away I was amazed at how much I liked them. The liquor was a perfect addition to the cake, so moist! I was unsure of the buttercream at first but after they sat in the fridge overnight the alcohol had toned down and really left a great flavor. Seriously these really are the perfect Valentines cupcakes.

Valentines Cupcakes - Chocolate Cherry Amaretto

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHERRY AMARETTO VALENTINES CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CUPCAKES

  • 1 Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
  • 4 tbsp instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup amaretto liquor
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (slightly cooled)

FILLING

  • 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO BUTTERCREAM

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1/2 tbsp almond extract
  • 7 tbsp Hershey Cocoa Powder
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp Amaretto Liquor
  • 4-6 tbsp milk

TOPPINGS
24-30 Cherries

Makes + frosts 24 cupcakes.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

Step 2: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cake mix and pudding and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, beat together eggs, sour cream, liquor, milk, and extract at low speed. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in melted butter just until combined. Once all ingredients are incorporated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat once more for 15-20 seconds.

Step 3: Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake on the middle oven rack, for 16-18 minutes, baking up to 24 cupcakes side by side at a time. (for best results bake cupcakes 1 pan at a time) Once a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 2-4 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack. Prepare pan and repeat this step with any remaining batter.

Step 4: While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and smooth. Add shortening and extract and beat until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar and cocoa beating slightly between each addition. Add in amaretto and then milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating in between additions until desired consistency. Turn mixer medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes.

Step 5: Once cupcakes have completely cooled, core and fill cupcakes with cherry pie filling. Frost cupcakes with chocolate amaretto buttercream. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until served.

If you’re a lover of amaretto, feel free to increase the flavor by adding more amaretto and less milk to your buttercream. I didn’t want it too strong of course.

Call this non-almond lover convinces? I love these boozy cupcakes! Don’t you think these would make the perfect decadent treat for your Valentine? Chocolate, cherry, amaretto…the perfect Valentine’s Day Cupcake combo!

And yea, I know, I’m a little early but hey…here’s to making up for being so behind all last year.

LOVE THESE VALENTINES CUPCAKES? HOW ABOUT MORE VALENTINES IDEAS?

Heads up! To keep those legal gurus of the world happy, I need to inform you that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. In short – I may earn a small commission from the use of said link with no cost to you! But don’t worry I only link to stuff I use, love, and know you will too!

CHOCOLATE CHERRY AMARETTO VALENTINES CUPCAKES

These Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Cupcakes Are The Perfect Valentine’s Cupcakes! 

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CUPCAKES

  • 1 Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
  • 4 tbsp instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup amaretto liquor
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 cup melted butter (slightly cooled)

FILLING

  • 1 Can Cherry Pie Filling

CHOCOLATE AMARETTO BUTTERCREAM

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1/2 tbsp almond extract
  • 7 tbsp Hershey Cocoa Powder
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tbsp Amaretto Liquor
  • 4-6 tbsp milk
  • TOPPINGS
  • 24-30 Cherries
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

  2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together cake mix and pudding and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, beat together eggs, sour cream, liquor, milk, and extract at low speed. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in melted butter just until combined. Once all ingredients are incorporated, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat once more for 15-20 seconds.

  3. Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner and bake on the middle oven rack, for 16-18 minutes, baking up to 24 cupcakes side by side at a time. (for best results bake cupcakes 1 pan at a time) Once a toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and allow cupcakes to rest in pan for 2-4 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack. Prepare pan and repeat this step with any remaining batter.

  4. Step 4: While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl) using the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and smooth. Add shortening and extract and beat until combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar and cocoa beating slightly between each addition. Add in amaretto and then milk 1 tablespoon at a time beating in between additions until desired consistency. Turn mixer medium- high and beat for 1-2 minutes.

Makes + frosts 24 cupcakes.

Image of Toni Miller in front of a sprinkle shelf.

COOKIE DESIGNER

 I’m Toni, the baker, the blogger,  and cookie cutter maker  behind The Sprinkle Factory and I hope you find a sprinkle of inspiration here at The Factory.

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