Paula Deen Cherry Cobbler Cupcakes

Paula Deen cherry cobbler cupcakes are an easy dessert made with fresh cherries, a buttery vanilla-lemon batter and fresh whipped cream, ready in 57 minutes. It's an easy cherry dessert idea for a potluck, Fourth of July cookout or Sunday supper, and it's make-ahead friendly too.

Bake the batter for 7 minutes before the cherries go in, because that partial bake gives them a base to sit on. Skip it and the sugared cherries sink straight to the bottom of the liner.

Paula rolls the pitted cherries in cornstarch and sugar before they go in, which keeps the juices from turning the crumb soggy. She also fills each liner in two layers, so every cupcake hides its own little cobbler of cherries inside.

Paula Deen Cherry Cobbler Cupcakes

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Medium

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

27

minutes

Calories

190

kcal

Sugar-coated cherries bake inside a soft, buttery cupcake with a hint of lemon, so each bite tastes like a cobbler. Once cooled, a swirl of fresh whipped cream and a stemmed cherry finish them off.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
  

• ½ cup unsalted butter, temperature
  

• 1¾ cups All-purpose flour
  

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  

• ½ teaspoon baking soda
  

• ½ teaspoon salt
  

• 2 large eggs, room temperature
  

• ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  

• 1 cup milk
  

• 32 cherries, pitted and de-stemmed
  

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  

• 2 tablespoons sugar
  

• fresh whipped cream, to taste
  

• 16 cherries with stems, for garnish
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with liners. That way it is fully hot when the first batch goes in.
• Make the batter: Beat 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl until fully combined. Then mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add the eggs one at a time, and finish with the lemon extract and milk.
• Fill and partly bake: Fill the cupcake liners 1/4 full, which will not use all of the batter. Bake them for 7 minutes while you coat the cherries.
• Coat the cherries: Roll the 32 pitted and de-stemmed cherries in a bowl with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons sugar. Keep going until every cherry is fully coated.
• Add the cherries: Take the tin out of the oven and place two coated cherries on top of the partly baked batter in each liner. Do this quickly so the oven stays warm.
• Cover with batter: Divide the remaining batter evenly among the liners so it covers the cherries. It will come nearly to the top of each liner.
• Finish baking: Bake for 20 more minutes, until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Then let them cool completely.
• Top and serve: Top each cooled cupcake with a swirl of fresh whipped cream. Finish with one of the 16 cherries with stems for garnish.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, Checkered Chef cooling racks. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use canned or frozen cherries instead of fresh?

Frozen cherries work if you thaw them and pat them very dry before rolling them in the cornstarch and sugar. Canned cherries in syrup are too wet, so they would make the cupcakes soggy.

Why do the cherries sink in cupcakes like this?

Cherries sink when they go into raw batter that is too thin to hold them up. Here the first 7 minutes of baking sets a base, and the cornstarch coating helps them stay put.

How should I store these cupcakes?

Because of the fresh whipped cream, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. I would eat them within a day or two, since the cherry juices slowly soften the crumb.

Can I make them ahead for a party?

Bake the cupcakes the day before and keep them covered at room temperature. Whip the cream and add the cherry on top just before serving so they look fresh.

Can I use a different extract if I do not have lemon?

Vanilla extract is the easiest swap, though you will lose that bright note that goes so well with cherries. A little grated lemon zest also works if you have a lemon on hand.