Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

My friend recently asked me to make cupcakes for another friend's birthday. I was told she liked chocolate and cherry, so I decided to make my go-to vegan chocolate cupcakes topped with cherry buttercream. I tucked a cherry inside each cupcake, and it was fun to watch everyone's surprise when they bit into them. I have to say I wasn't really excited to make these since cherry is not one of my favorite flavors, but they ended up being very delicious. The sweet cherry icing paired perfectly with the chocolate cupcakes and bittersweet chocolate chips.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Make chocolate cupcakes as directed here, or any other favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, but substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract and drop one to two maraschino cherries into each cupcake before baking. 

Cherry Buttercream
2 sticks butter, room temperature
5–6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2–4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice

Cream the butter and almond extract until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar one cup at a time and cherry juice one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Continue beating on low until smooth and creamy.