Bleeding Cupcakes

For the Black Cocoa Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line 2 cupcake pans with 20 total liners. I suggest using black cupcake liners here.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 3 minutes.
3. While the butter and sugars are creaming, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixer and mix for 2-3 minutes, until fully combined and smooth.
5. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in 5 total additions, starting and ending with dry ingredients. (So add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ½ of the buttermilk, repeat..)
6. Add the black food coloring and mix until combined. (you can omit the food coloring if desired. The black cocoa will make the cupcakes pretty dark brown, but you’ll need the food coloring if you want them black)
7. Use an ice cream scoop with a trigger to portion the batter into the prepared cupcake pans. The liners should be about ¾ of the way full.
8. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cupcakes cool completely.

For the Vanilla Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 10 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure all of the butter is getting whipped.
2. Add the salt and vanilla and mix to combine.
3. Add the powdered sugar ½ at a time, mixing for 3 minutes on low after each addition.
4. Add the heavy cream and mix on low for another 3 minutes.
5. Make sure to continue scraping down the bowl to make sure everythings getting mixed and your buttercream has an even texture.
6. Fit a piping bag with a large round tip and fill with buttercream. Set aside.

For the Cherry Filling:

1. Drain the cherry juice and chop the cherries into a small dice.
2. Mix diced cherries with 1 C of the Blood Red Glaze. Set aside.2. Mix diced cherries with 1 C of the Blood Red Glaze. Set aside.3. Save the remaining glaze for top of cupcakes.

For the Sugar Glass Shards:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and isomalt crystals. Heat over medium high until the isomalt has melted and is completely smooth.1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and isomalt crystals. Heat over medium high until the isomalt has melted and is completely smooth.
2. Continue to heat until the mixture reaches 320 degrees. This will take about 10 minutes.
3. While it’s heating up, prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper so that the sugar glass won’t stick.
4. Once it reaches 320 degrees, carefully pour it onto the prepared cookie sheet. Use a rubber spatula to spread it into a thin even layer.
5. Let it sit until cool – about 10 minutes. Then, break it into random pieces.

Assembly:

1. Use a sharp knife to remove the centers of the cupcakes, then fill with cherry filling – about 1-2 tsp per cupcake.
2. Then, pipe on the vanilla buttercream.
3. Stick the glass shards into the buttercream.
4. Use the bottle of blood red glaze to squeeze extra glaze on top of the cupcakes starting right up at the “glass” and letting it drip down the sides of the cupcakes.
5. Serve immediately. You can make ahead, but wait to add extra blood red glaze until right before serving.
6. Cupcakes will keep on the counter for 24 hours or up to a week in the fridge.