Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes

Nathan has been asking me to make him these cupcakes for months now and I finally got around to them last week. I made him 6 jumbo cupcakes that lasted him almost 2 weeks.

Cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
•  2 whole cherries in each cupcake
• 
  
• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
  
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
  
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.15 minutes into the baking process pull the cupcakes out of the oven and put 2 cherries in the middle of each cupcake. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

Cherry Buttercream Frosting 

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
  
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 1/2 cup cherry juice from jar of Cherries

n large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and cherry juice and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thin beat in powdered sugar until spreading consistency.Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.