Cherry-Almond Tea Cakes!

I made these not-too-sweet little "tea cakes" or cupcakes for my Mamas birthday. I was inspired by her favorite ice cream flavor (and only request for the day), black cherry vanilla. So I used my basic vanilla cupcake recipe, added vanilla bean, almond extract, and fresh black cherries! I also dusted the cakes with powdered sugar for a touch of sweetness. SHE LOVED THEM! Happy Birthday Mama!

Cherry-Almond Tea Cakes!

 Ingredients:

1 cup                             Unsalted butter, room temp
1 and 1/2  cups              Sugar
3 cups                            All-purpose flour
3 tsp.                             Baking powder
1 tsp.                             Sea salt (fine)
4                                    Eggs, room temp
1 cup                             Milk
1                                    Vanilla bean, de-seeded
2 tsp.                              Almond extract
1 and 1/2 cups               Black cherries, chopped
24                                  Black cherries, whole, reserved with stems
                                      Powdered sugar, optional



Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla bean seeds and almond extract. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with milk until fully incorporated (scraping down sides as you go). Fold in chopped cherries. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of batter and push a whole cherry in the center of each, stems up. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Let cakes cool and dust with powdered sugar.