Chocolate Covered Cherry Minis

Growing up, my mom made a fruit salad that I loved.  It had peaches, pineapples, strawberries, bananas all mixed in a vanilla pudding & Tang sauce.  Delicious. 

But the best ingredient was maraschino cherries.  My mom would have to buy the largest jar she could find because my sister and I would fight over them.  20 years later and we still fight over the cherries.

So when my sisters birthday came around this year, I knew I had to somehow incorporate our lifelong competition into her dessert.  So I took another favorite of ours, the chocolate covered cherry, and turned it into a cupcake.

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chocolate milk*
Maraschino cherries - enough to include one with each cupcake - I used 48

INGREDIENTS FOR CHERRY FROSTING:
8 oz sour cream
3/4 of a 8 ounce tub of whipped cream
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons cherry juice for the jar of Maraschino cherries


INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a mini muffin tin with baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, sour cream and milk until blended.
3. Add the cake mix and beat with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
4. Fill the baking cups halfway full with the cake mix.
5. Place one cherry in the center of each cupcake.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcake comes out clean - just remember the cherry is there in the middle :)
7. Let the cupcake cool for a few minutes in the pan and then allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

While the cupcakes are cooling (or baking, whichever works for you) make your frosting:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar and cherry juice.
2. Beat with chilled beaters on medium speed until fluffy - it took a few minutes to get it fluffy.
3. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

NOTES:
*You can use regular milk in making the cupcakes - I simply like to use chocolate milk when making a chocolate cake - I think it enhances the chocolate flavor.


Any family food fights in your house?

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 THIS RECIPE PROUDLY LINKED TO: Crazy For Crust