Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes With Vanilla Bean Frosting - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried cherries
1 cup water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken (60% cocoa)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 vanilla beans, split
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 muffin pans with 16 paper liners.
In a small saucepan, combine cherries with water. Bring to a boil. Transfer mixture (cherries and water) to a food processor. Add cocoa, chocolate and butter, and pulse until combined. Cool 1 minute. Add brown sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, and puree until almost smooth.
Pulse in eggs until well combined. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl and add to food processor. Pulse until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until tops are slightly domed and firm to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cupcakes in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on rack.
Scrape vanilla bean seeds into bowl. Add cream cheese and confectioners' sugar and beat well. Pipe or spread frosting on to cupcakes.