Polar Bear Chocolate Cherry Cola Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
There’s nothing like making fresh batch of cupcakes made from scratch, especially when we can make our own frosting and put an adorable little polar bear face on it too! Recipe creation by Luxe and the Lady!
Yields:
20 cupcakes
Directions
- Bring eggs, buttermilk, Zevia Cherry Cola, and cherry concentrate to room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners or oil
- Sift the flour and cacao powder into an stand mixer. Add 1 cup stevia, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk by hand until combined
- Add almond extract, 1 stick butter, buttermilk, Zevia Cherry Cola, and cherry juice concentrate and mix on low for 1 1/2 minutes, then medium another 30 seconds.
- Fill cupcake liners with 3 tbsp batter each, add one cherry, then cover with 1 tbsp more batter. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on top
- Bake the cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for about 5 minutes
Frosting
- Pour 2 tbsp + 1 tsp stevia, cornstarch and blend until it’s fine and fluffy and set aside
- Beat softened butter for 3 minutes on medium. Add cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and beat until combined
- Add whipped cream and beat on medium-high for 45 seconds
- Transfer to a piping bag and spread over cupcakes.
Design (optional)
- Add 3 flattened, mini marshmallows (2 for ears and 1 for the nose)
- Add a bit of whipped cream to the middle using a toothpick and place a large chocolate chip on top of the nose and one small chocolate chip on each eye
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp cacao powder
- stevia equivalent to 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup Zevia Cherry Cola
- 3 tbsp tart cherry juice concentrate
- 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
- 20 fresh dark sweet cherries
Frosting
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp stevia
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
- 8 oz cream cheese (cold)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Design (optional)
- 40 mini dark chocolate chips
- 20 large chocolate chips
- 60 mini natural marshmallows
