Fresh cherries have flooded the markets and of course I wasted no time buying my share, which basically means that every time I’m out and about I pick up another bag (or two).
(I’ve even been looking for errands to run just to have an excuse to go out and pick up some more…definitely a windfall for Mike, who not only loves cherries, but now views standing in lines at the post office and bank a thing of the past…at least until the end of cherry season. ;) )
So what do I do with all my loot?, you might be wondering.
In addition to eating fresh cherries by the fistful, I like to toss them into salads, roasted vegetables, or marinades, and also use them as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, or oatmeal. They are also delicious added to a smoothie or even a bowl of cereal…and of course they’re a beautiful addition to baked goods.
My inspiration for these little lovelies was a combination of cheese Danish pastries and my strawberry shortcake cupcakes. For these cupcakes, I decided to add sour cream to the cake batter (which was a slight adaptation of my recipe for classic yellow cake), and I filled the cupcakes with cream cheese and homemade cherry filling. I used fresh cherries to make the filling, but any kind of berries you like would be delicious; in a time crunch, store-bought preserves would also work well.
If you haven’t tried sour cream cake I definitely recommend it…it’s gloriously rich and moist with a very tender crumb. You could even make this cake on its own and glaze it with a simple vanilla glaze (recipe below), or serve it topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.
- 1 lb (about 3 cups) fresh or frozen sweet black cherries, pitted and halved
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with ¼ cup cold water to form a slurry
- 1½ cups white sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz cream cheese (low-fat is fine), cut into 18 pieces
- ½ cup (2 oz) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For the cherry filling, in a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the cherries, water, and sugar (uncovered) until the cherries are softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly (the mixture will thicken). Cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge while you make the cupcakes (it will thicken more as it cools).
- For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin tray with paper liners. With a handheld electric beater, beat together the sugar and oil, and then cream in eggs until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually the stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined, making sure not to over-mix.
- Fill each cupcake liner with about ¼ cup of batter (they should be about ¾ full). Add a scant tablespoon of cherry filling to each, and then add one piece of cream cheese, pushing it down slightly.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.
- Cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the tray and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before glazing.
- For the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients, then drizzle over the cooled cupcakes.
- Let the glaze set before serving.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Erica says
July 14, 2011 at 5:12 pmI just saw in our circular that cherries were on sale and got super excited! These cupcakes look amazing- the middle looks just ridiculous good! Hooray for summer fruit
Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen says
July 14, 2011 at 5:21 pmYour cupcakes look perfect! I love them :D
aipi says
July 14, 2011 at 5:21 pmSo beautiful and truly summery! Your cupcakes are perfect!
US Masala
Astra Libris says
July 14, 2011 at 6:52 pmOh my goodness, these are BRILLIANT!! Zach loves cheese danishes – I can’t wait to surprise him with these! Thank you for the gorgeous recipe! :-)
kankana says
July 14, 2011 at 10:09 pmI am eating cherries non stop these days .. they taste like candy! This cupcake looks so deliciously perfect.
Veronica says
July 14, 2011 at 10:30 pmI still need to make your yellow cake! Man, this really grabs me b/c I too love cherries and I love cheese danish and cake just as much. So you pretty much combined three of my favorite things. Woot! And your photography continually astounds me. Can I ask what camera you use? Did you have to take classes to use it so well?
admin says
July 15, 2011 at 7:41 amVeronica, You’re so sweet, thanks so much! I use a Nikon D7000 (you can read more about it on my FAQ page). I had no formal training…I’ve read tons of books, got some informal training from friends, and have been practicing my little heart out, lol! :)
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz says
July 14, 2011 at 10:30 pmOh my they look wonderful. I am a cherry maniac too. not quite here yet in my area
Carolyn Jung says
July 14, 2011 at 10:39 pmThe best invention ever! Part muffin, part danish — and all delicious to the last bite.
Geni says
July 14, 2011 at 10:42 pmOh these cupcakes look fab. Love the flavor combination!
Rosa says
July 15, 2011 at 1:26 amThose cupcakes must be divine! A nice combination of flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
July 15, 2011 at 2:16 amWhat a clever idea Faith and you can really see how good these are from the slice open photo. BTW love the new redesign! I meant to mention it before! :)
Nicole @ itsfeedingtimeatthezoo says
July 15, 2011 at 4:08 amWow, these look excellent. I really love the cherry cheese combo, and in a muffin it’s bound to be delicious.
Nicole, RD says
July 15, 2011 at 6:04 amFaith, your photos…ah! I can taste them with my eyes alone! But, I still think I have to make these…and then take all but 2 or 3 to work. They look amazingly dangerous! ;)
Jay says
July 15, 2011 at 6:42 amwat a brilliant idea…this looks super delicious..
Tasty Appetite
Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook says
July 15, 2011 at 6:51 amThose are the prettiest cupcakes. Too late for me, my kids polished off all the cherries! They’d rather have have cupcakes though, I’m sure!
Lucy says
July 15, 2011 at 6:55 amI love this idea – the flavour combination sounds so summery. They look so pretty too!
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker says
July 15, 2011 at 7:36 amThese are adorable! And that filling with the cream cheese….my gawwdddd, it looks addicting! Lovely little summery recipe and gorgeous photos too :)
Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says
July 15, 2011 at 7:45 ami love the dribble of icing spilling over the sides mmmm <3
Heavenly Housewife says
July 15, 2011 at 7:51 amDanish cupcakes??? What a stunning and delicious idea. You always come up with the most clever treats!
*kisses* HH
Dana says
July 15, 2011 at 7:52 amI love how these look like “ordinary” cupcakes, and when you bite inside, you find a delicious sounding filling! Great idea!
marla {family fresh cooking} says
July 15, 2011 at 8:01 amThese cupcakes look amazing. Beautiful photos too!
Jess Wakasugi says
July 15, 2011 at 8:49 amOh my. That last picture did me in. These so incredible, I can’t wait to try these out!!
In your directions, there’s no mention of putting another little helping of the batter over the filling, does the filling just sink and the batter bakes over it or can you still see the filling once they’re done? If that’s not confusing… ;)
admin says
July 15, 2011 at 12:33 pmJess, There’s no need to put batter over the filling — for each cupcake, I spooned the cherry filling on top in the center, then pushed the piece of Neufchatel down slightly into the cherry filling. The cherry filling and cheese sink to the center of the cupcake (take a look at the picture where I cut a cupcake in half) and cause a slight indentation on top (which I think makes them look like real cheese Danishes), but the cherries peek out a little bit on top. I added a picture to the bottom of this post so you can see the top of the cupcakes better. Hope that helps! :)
Pachecopatty says
July 15, 2011 at 2:22 pmFaith your pictures are stunning,I love the blue and white with the cherry filled cupcakes, just drop dead gorgeous. The recipe sounds wonderful, very creative and fun to put together. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend;-)
MaryMoh says
July 15, 2011 at 2:58 pmI always love fruits in cakes. Your cupcakes look very delicious. I have not tried making cakes with cherries, only with blueberries. I need to try next time. Thank very much for sharing. Hope you had a great day.
Stevie says
July 15, 2011 at 3:13 pmI really love traditional “American Danish” so I’ve no doubt that I’d eat the entire tray of these cherry cupcakes. Your blog is getting bad for my health ;) Have a super weekend.
Ameena says
July 15, 2011 at 4:05 pmThat picture of the inside of the cupcake? My gosh…it looks amazing! Great job Faith!
kalli says
July 15, 2011 at 7:06 pmoh faith! these are amazing. i am drooling over that side view :)
Tanvi@SinfullySpicy says
July 15, 2011 at 8:38 pmThese look perfect! Love the filling..beautiful pictures Faith..all of them :) Have a fab weekend!
Reeni says
July 15, 2011 at 8:53 pmYou are a girl after my very own heart! These are divine and luscious little treats Faith! Wish I had one…or two. Have a great weekend!
cooking varieties( wan maznah) says
July 15, 2011 at 9:57 pmhi faith, superb ingredients- strawberries and cheese- love them all.
your cup cakes look so swweeet and delicious with the blue cups complimenting the cakes..have a nice day dear.
Maria @ Scandifoodie says
July 16, 2011 at 12:53 amThey are gorgeous!
Joanne says
July 16, 2011 at 5:22 amI remember in middle school when I got to go around to the corner store to buy breakfast without my mom’s supervision, I would always spring for a danish. However, I imagine they are much better with such luscious cherries and in cupcake form. Just gorgeous!
Sanjeeta kk says
July 16, 2011 at 6:19 amHow delightful and gorgeous these cup cakes look. And the contrast of the muffin liners and the red cherries is marvelous, Faith.
Hannah says
July 16, 2011 at 9:43 amMmm… That dripping icing looks like it’s just waiting to be licked up! So delicious, and as much as I love making pastries, cupcakes are definitely easier, so this sounds like the best of all worlds.
sheila @ Elements says
July 16, 2011 at 1:49 pmYour pictures are making my mouth water…especially the one that’s cut open and I can see all that ooey gooey yumminess inside. *sigh* If only I could keep myself from eating all the cherries I buy so I can make this! :)
shooting star says
July 16, 2011 at 2:54 pmits 1 AM at night here and my stomach’s growling…and looking at the yummy pics…am like wanting to eat up my screen!!!!
Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather says
July 16, 2011 at 4:47 pmThese look so good Faith! I want the cream filling!!
Simply Life says
July 16, 2011 at 5:37 pmOh these are ADORABLE! What a fun way to eat cherries!
Nina says
July 16, 2011 at 6:42 pmFaith, these are amazing! Brilliant idea to make these into cupcakes!
Raina says
July 16, 2011 at 7:28 pmYum! My husband would go nuts for these (me too), cherries in a sour cream cupcake with cheese filling…..you are so smart:)
Barbara says
July 17, 2011 at 6:12 amAny cake with sour cream in it is so moist! Cherries abound right now..I’m loving them. Such a pain to pit, though. :)
This looks marvelous, Faith. And presented beautifully!
Susan says
July 17, 2011 at 11:05 amI’ve been eating cherries by the fist-full too and I’m eating some right now!
What a delicious idea for cupcakes, Faith!
Victoria says
July 17, 2011 at 5:12 pmOooooh, this takes filled cupcakes to a whole other level! It sounded really tasty, and then I saw the cross-section of your cupcake and was just floored. I love danishes, and am thrilled that you used them as your inspiration for this dessert. Perfect for summer :) Serious happiness, haha.
Monet says
July 17, 2011 at 8:22 pmWhat a lovely summer dessert. Aren’t cherries just tasting wonderful right now? Thank you for sharing another beautiful recipe. I hope you had a lovely weekend, and I hope you have an even lovelier week. Many blessings and much love…
Anna Johnston says
July 17, 2011 at 10:00 pmHoney, please, pretty please with a cherry on top send me a bunch of these, they look gorgeous. Oh how I wish it were cherry season here. Hope u had a wonderful weekend sweet girl. :)
Krystal says
July 17, 2011 at 11:13 pmI’m glad this recipe has a ton of ingredients or i would memorize it and make it way too often. Cheese danish are the only pastries i love. I’ve never found a simple recipe, which is probably part of what makes them so good, but keeps me from making them constantly and gaining who knows at least 40lbs to start =) Thanks for this recipe. After this baby girl comes I’ll be buckled down the winter with RSV and i will need some fun and for me challenging recipes to keep me busy. Thanks!
Alli says
July 17, 2011 at 11:17 pmThose pictures are amazing. So homey and beautiful. I can’t get enough cherries either. These look insane. My husband loves cheese Danish so this is a treat I will be making.
Ambreen says
July 18, 2011 at 5:58 amAh, they looks so tempting. Love to have a bite.
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
July 18, 2011 at 11:26 amall you’re missing is my address… so you can send me one =)
tania@mykitchenstories says
July 18, 2011 at 4:09 pmThese cupcakes look fantastic. I am going to make them.
Megan'sCookin' says
July 18, 2011 at 5:07 pmI love these. A little bit of portion control baked right in. They sound amazing!
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
July 18, 2011 at 10:33 pmI’ve been the same way with the cherries in my local market. They’ve been on sale this week, and I’ve been back three times for them! These little cupcakes look like a beautiful and delicious way to use some of my hoarded gems! :)
Magic of Spice says
July 19, 2011 at 1:28 pmOh heavens! I do love cherry season and these look fantastic with that filling spilling out…I want!
grace says
July 20, 2011 at 3:07 amthese sure do look fantastic. the little dip in the middle is just calling for a dollop of a)more filling, or b)whipped cream. :)
admin says
July 20, 2011 at 7:36 pmGrace, I agree…or c) a fresh cherry! :)
Lucia says
July 21, 2011 at 8:44 amOh dear! This is AWESOME! That tender, sweet center. A bit like a heart. I love cherries too. Have you ever made cherry clafoutis? You can find the recipe on my blog, if you’d love to try: http://www.sugarandink.net/2011/06/cherry-clafoutis-having-time-to-have.html
LeQuan says
July 27, 2011 at 1:15 amOh my, these look so moist and delicious, Faith! I love that you get a cream cheese surprise when you bit into a cupcake. I’d love one of these right about now.
sarah@spinach and spice says
August 3, 2011 at 7:30 ami’m so glad I just found your blog.. i have a bag of tart cherries in the freezer i’m looking to use up! should i make any changes to the recipe if using tart cherries instead?
admin says
August 4, 2011 at 5:41 pmSarah, I haven’t made these with tart cherries so I can’t say for sure…I would just taste the filling and add a touch more sugar if you feel like it isn’t sweet enough (but not too much, there is a sweet glaze that goes on top). Hope you enjoy them! :)