Chocolate Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Meanwhile, grease and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg, one at a time and beat until fully incorporated. Lastly, add in the oil & vanilla extract. Beat again until combined. The mixture will now be light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients about 4-5 tablespoons at a time and beat on low speed until combined. Repeat until all dry ingredients are added. The batter will be slightly thick. Now, pour the buttermilk into the batter. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated.
5. Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill each liner ½ full to avoid it from spilling over the sides or sinking. Bake cupcakes for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t over-bake, which will dry out the cupcakes. Begin checking for doneness at 19 minutes. For around 36 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes at the same oven temperature.
6. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack immediately when done. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Cherry Jam

1. While the cupcakes are baking, pit your cherries using a cherry pitter. If you don’t have one, then read a hack in the FAQ section. 
2. Add pitted cherries, sugar & lemon juice to a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat. Stir using a spatula until all the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. The cherries will eventually become soft. Use your spatula to break them into small pieces.  
4. Allow the mixture to come to a boil & let it boil for around 10 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. 
6. Transfer to a mason jar & store cherry jam at room temperature for 3 months. 

Cherry Buttercream

1. In a large bowl, add the softened butter & powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter & sugar until light & airy. 
2. Add in the fresh cream & vanilla. Beat again until combined. 
3. Lastly add in 2 tablespoons of cherry jam and mix. Add more until the desired colour is achieved.
4. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with tip of your choice. I used a Wilton 1M for the swirl pattern shown here.  

Assembly

1. Using a spoon, take out a small piece of the cooled cupcakes from their center. Fill it with ½ – 1 teaspoon cherry jam. 
2. Cover the jam back with the cupcake piece. Frost the cupcakes with cherry buttercream as desired. 
3. Lastly top them with a fresh cherry and enjoy!
4. Store cherry cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for upto 5 days!