Three-Ingredient Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling, and eggs create moist cupcakes with pockets of fruit and a soft cocoa crumb. The pantry-friendly batter needs no added oil or water, and the fruit provides enough sweetness and moisture to keep the cakes tender.

Details

• Yield: 24 cupcakes
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Bake: 18 to 22 minutes
• Oven: 350°F/175°C

Ingredients

• 1 standard box chocolate cake mix, about 15 to 16 ounces
• 1 can cherry pie filling, about 21 ounces
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

Use the dry cake mix directly from the package; do not add the oil, water, or other ingredients printed on its box.

Equipment

Gather two standard 12-cup muffin pans, 24 paper liners, large mixing bowl, whisk, flexible spatula, 1/4-cup scoop, cooling racks, and instant-read thermometer. A small knife is helpful for cutting unusually large cherries.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 24 muffin wells. Check the cherry filling and cut any very large cherries in half so the fruit distributes evenly.
2. Whisk the eggs in the mixing bowl until uniform. Stir in the cherry filling, pressing a few cherries lightly with the spatula to release juice.
3. Add the dry cake mix. Fold slowly until no dry pockets remain, scraping the bottom and sides. The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy from the fruit.
4. Divide evenly among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pans and swapping their rack positions halfway through.
5. Remove the cupcakes when their tops spring back, a tester inserted away from a cherry shows moist crumbs rather than wet batter, and centers reach about 200°F/93°C. Cool in pans five minutes, then transfer to racks.

Cues and troubleshooting

Fold only until combined; vigorous beating breaks down the cherries and can make the crumb gummy. A tester pushed through fruit will look wet, so check a cake section as well. Uneven cupcakes usually come from large cherry clusters or inconsistent scoops. If using dark pans, begin checking two minutes early. Cupcakes that stick were likely unwrapped warm; cool them completely before removing liners.

Substitutions

Devil’s food, dark chocolate, or standard chocolate cake mix all work, though package weights differ slightly. Blueberry or raspberry pie filling can replace cherry for a different fruit profile. Two whole eggs plus two egg whites may replace the three eggs, producing a somewhat lighter crumb. Optional frosting or chocolate chips would expand the three-ingredient formula; serve them plain for the intended version.

Storage and safety

Store fully cooled cupcakes airtight at room temperature for two days or refrigerate for five days. Freeze in a rigid container for up to two months and thaw covered at room temperature. Do not seal warm cakes because condensation makes their tops sticky. Avoid tasting raw batter because eggs and flour require cooking. Check the cake-mix label for allergens and keep serving utensils free from cross-contact.