Sure, these are great for Valentine's Day, but even better? Mother's Day dessert, look no further! My Mom loved these cupcakes, and seriously, who wouldn't? A chocolate cupcake with a cherry pie filling, topped with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate, yeah, no one could turn it down.

Black Forest Cupcakes

Have you ever had a towering slice of layered Black Forest Chocolate Cake? It ruins all other chocolate cakes for you. The combination of chocolate and fresh cherries is always delicious, but the textures and moisture in a cake make it even more drool-worthy. These decadent Black Forest cupcakes are perfectly chocolatey with a soft and moist crumb and that cherry pie filling, well, try not to eat it by the spoonful before you fill the cupcakes.

Be careful not to overmix your cake batter, especially if you are using an electric mixer. You know I almost always use a whisk attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a way, these remind me of a ding-dong type cupcake, but with the bonus of that delicious filling. I'll take juicy cherry pie filling over cream filling spilling out of the center of the cupcake any day! I recommend using a transparent or a dark cupcake liner for these treats so they still look dark, chocolatey, and pretty.

Black Forest Cake Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bittersweet chocolate
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Bread flour
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Canola oil
• Eggs
• White vinegar
• Vanilla extract
• Cherry pie filling
• Heavy whipping cream
• Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (for garnish)
• Fresh black cherries (for garnish)

I see a lot of people asking about maraschino cherries to top their Black Forest cake or cupcakes, but I recommend the deep black cherries for decoration. Not only do they have better flavor, but they also lean into the lovely dark colors.

All purpose flour will work, but you won't have quite as chewy and rich of a cake (this is why many chocolate cake recipes use bread flour).

I think they would also be good with a raspberry or strawberry pie filling if you are wanting to switch it up a bit, but try the cherry version at least once. Black Forest Cake is a classic for a reason!

Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I love Thanksgiving—what food lover doesn't? So basically who in the world doesn't? I decided to start the pre-holiday right today, we had BLTs for dinner and these. Gotta keep it light and healthy so I can feast tomorrow.

Ha! If only that could be considered light. One of my favorite meals ever, though. Bacon followed by cheesecake. And not just any cheesecake, Black Forest Cheesecakes!