Simple Chocolate Cupcakes with Cherries

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE BATTER

• 1
  Preheat the oven with top and bottom heat to 175° C and prepare muffin cups in a muffin tin.
• 2
  If using cherries in syrup, strain the cherries through a sieve (let them drain) and save the syrup.
• 3
  Place 115 g of chocolate in a plastic bowl and slowly melt it in the microwave (in 15-second intervals, stirring in between) or melt it in a bowl over a water bath.
• 4
  Weigh the cherry syrup and pour it into a saucepan. Add water if necessary to make a total of 200 g of liquid (if you don't have cherries in syrup but are using frozen or fresh ones, simply use a total of 200 g of water), add butter and let it melt on the stove over low heat.
• 5
  Stir the melted chocolate into the butter mixture and remove from the stove. Let it cool slightly.
• 6
  In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the buttermilk or kefir and finally the eggs.
• 7
  Stir 50 g of chopped chocolate into the prepared batter and divide the batter into the prepared cups using a spoon or small ladle. Fill them about 1 cm below the top edge.
• 8
  Place a few cherries in each cup (distribute them so that they are enough for all the muffins).
• 9
  Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack of the oven or until a skewer inserted comes out dry (at most with crumbs). Let cool completely.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CREAM

• 1
  Melt 250 g of chopped dark chocolate in the microwave.
• 2
  Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan.
• 3
  Pour the cream over the chocolate, let it sit for 1 minute, and then stir with a spatula until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes (or until it reaches a creamy consistency), stirring occasionally to ensure even thickening. Do not leave it in the refrigerator too long, or it will harden too much and won't be easy to pipe onto the muffins. If it hardens too much, soften it in the microwave (heat in 15-second intervals and stir) and let it thicken again.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINISHING THE CUPCAKES

• 1
  Place the cream in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a small rosette onto each cupcake with a circular motion from the center to the edge. If you don't have piping tips, you can simply apply the cream with a spoon or an ice cream scoop.
• 2
  You can decorate with chopped nuts, freeze-dried or fresh fruit, or edible flowers.