Simple Cherry Cupcakes

• The simplest cherry cupcake type is a plain cherry cupcake. Go for a natural sweet flavor and polka-dotted appearance by stirring cherry halves into vanilla cupcake batter. Alternately, mix cherry flavored syrup into the batter for a potent taste and pink color. Bake the cupcakes just as you would without the additions. Cover the cooled cupcakes with cherry frosting for an extra burst of flavor. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcake in a large spiral to make the treat look as good as it tastes. Place a single cherry on top of each cupcake to add a bright accent.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

• Chocolate and cherry are a traditional flavor match because they go so well together, especially in cupcake form. Mix milk chocolate chips and cherries into chocolate cupcake batter and top with milk chocolate frosting for an indulgent treat. Mix cherry syrup into vanilla batter and top with dark chocolate frosting for a chocolate-covered cherry taste. Pipe the frosting in small stripes across the cupcake top to give the treat an old-fashion look.

Vanilla Cherry Cupcakes

• Vanilla adds a subtly sweet background flavor to any cherry cupcake. Mix some vanilla extract into any cherry cupcake batter and top with vanilla frosting to create an old-fashion treat. Spread a smooth layer of the frosting over the cupcake to keep the dessert’s silhouette simple and sleek. You can also go for a fancier look by dusting the frosting with chopped vanilla beans, or sprinkle the frosting with chopped cherries for a burst of color.

Berry Cherry Cupcakes

• Cherry cupcakes blend well with almost any fruit flavor, but the most classic pairing for cherry is berries. Stir whole raspberries or blueberries into cherry cupcakes to give the dessert a punch of color, as well as rich flavor. Sprinkle diced fresh or dried strawberries into the cupcake batter for a subtle accent. Spread strawberry frosting over cherry cupcakes and top with a blueberry for a general berry theme. Pipe small, red spirals of frosting around the edge of the cupcake and top each with a different berry for a colorful look.