Lemon Curd Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes (Printable Version)

Citrusy cupcakes filled with curd, topped with creamy buttercream and charming chocolate cherry pumpkins. Great for autumn.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lemon Curd

01 - 1 batch Lemon Curd (prepared according to Flouring Kitchen instructions)

→ Lemon Cupcakes

02 - 1 batch Lemon Cupcakes (prepared according to Cake Me Home Tonight; yields 11 cupcakes; use black baking cups)

→ Vanilla Buttercream

03 - 1 batch Vanilla Buttercream (prepared according to Cake Me Home Tonight)
04 - 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (optional, for enhanced flavor)

→ Chocolate Covered Cherry Pumpkins

05 - 11 Bordeaux maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry
06 - 4 ounces white chocolate melting wafers (enough to coat cherries)
07 - Orange oil-based food coloring (for tinting white chocolate)
08 - 1 ounce dark chocolate melting wafers (for facial features)

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Cook one batch of Lemon Curd according to Flouring Kitchen directions, heating until the mixture reaches 170°F. Remove from heat and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 1–2 hours before use or freeze for extended storage.
02 - Mix and bake one batch of Lemon Cupcakes per Cake Me Home Tonight’s recipe, filling black baking cups three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
03 - Prepare a batch of Vanilla Buttercream using Cake Me Home Tonight’s method. Optionally, blend in 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste for enhanced vanilla depth and visible speckles.
04 - Thoroughly dry maraschino cherries. Melt white chocolate wafers in a glass measuring cup in a microwave, heating in 30-second intervals at 50% power. Mix in orange food coloring until smoothly tinted. Hold cherries by stems and submerge in colored chocolate to fully coat, letting excess drip off. Place coated cherries angled on parchment paper. Once set, repeat for deeper color if needed. Melt dark chocolate wafers and pipe facial details onto coated cherries using a small-tip piping bag and a toothpick to refine features. Allow decorations to fully harden.
05 - Using an apple corer, remove a small center core from each cooled cupcake. Fill a piping bag with the chilled lemon curd and pipe into cupcake centers. Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip, fill with vanilla buttercream, and pipe a swirl over each cupcake, leaving a space in the middle. Position a chocolate-covered cherry pumpkin in the center of each frosted cupcake. Refrigerate the completed cupcakes and bring to room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving for best flavor and texture.

# Additional Notes:

01 - For precise lemon curd texture, monitor temperature with a thermometer and immediately cover with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation.
02 - Ensure maraschino cherries are fully dried before coating to avoid seizing the melted chocolate.
03 - Decorated cupcakes store best in the refrigerator and are optimal when served at room temperature.

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