Don't these cupcakes look fun?! I made these for a get together with some great friends. I knew it would be a lively time, so I needed suitable cupcakes for the occasion. There are 3 different parts to these, and they are all pretty easy. The coke flavor is very slight, but makes for an interesting ingredient.
adapted from confessionsofacookbookqueen.com 
Chocolate Cherry Cola Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup Coke, Pepsi, or other cola product
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, add cake mix, butter, buttermilk, eggs, and Coke. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and increase speed to medium. Beat for 2 minutes.
3. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Place cupcakes on cooling racks until cooled.
Cherry Frosting
2 sticks salted butter, softened
1 cup shortening
16 maraschino cherries, chopped small enough to fit through piping tip
4 TBSPs of juice from a jar of maraschino cherries
8 cups powdered sugar
In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and shortening together, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add maraschino cherries and juice; beat until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beat on med/high speed until light and fluffy. Pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes and place in the refrigerator until well chilled (about an hour) then make your glaze.
Chocolate Cola Glaze
4 TBSPs melted butter
2 TBSPs cocoa powder
1/4 cup Coke, Pepsi, or other cola product
2 cups powdered sugar
Maraschino cherries/gummi Cola bottles for garnish
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the cocoa powder and Coke and whisk in well. Once the mixture just begins to boil, remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar. Spoon the frosting over the cupcakes and top with a cherry and gummi Cola bottle before set.
Tips:
*Slowly spoon the glaze onto the top of each cupcake. If you put on too much it will drip all the way down the sides.
*Take out the cherries that you are going to use for garnish and set them on a paper towel to soak up some of the extra juice before placing on top of the cupcakes.
*Keep the cupcakes in the fridge until about an hour before serving.
*If you are spreading on the frosting and not piping it on high, you can half the cherry frosting recipe.
