Cherry Baby Cakes

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup cherry marmalade or cherry preserves, large pieces snipped if necessary
• 30 maraschino cherries with stems, drained
• 1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line thirty 1 3/4-inch muffin cups with miniature paper bake cups;* set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Spoon 1 scant teaspoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cherry marmalade and top with 1/2 teaspoon additional batter.

3. Bake cupcakes about 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

4. Pat cherries dry with clean paper toweling. Frost each cupcake with about 1/2 teaspoon icing. Dip half of each cherry into remaining icing; place on top of baby cakes. Makes about 30 small cakes.

*Test Kitchen Tip:If you don't have 1 3/4-inch muffin cups, line sixteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Prepare batter as directed. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 teaspoon of marmalade and another tablespoon of batter. (You will only use about 1/3 cup marmalade.) Bake about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Frost with Powdered Sugar Icing. Add a cherry as directed above. (You will only need 16 cherries.)

*Powdered Sugar Icing: In a small bowl combine 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing reaches drizzling consistency. Makes about 30.