Dark Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes

Moist, chocolaty cupcakes with juicy pie cherries inside. Adapted from Kelly Smith's "Dark Chocolate Cake II."

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 0.75 cup Dutch-process dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 0.25 cup salted butter, softened
• 0.25 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease or line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Dig a well in the center and pour in buttermilk, eggs, butter, oil, and almond extract. Begin stirring, then use an electric mixer to make to a smooth, thick batter. Pour in cherry pie filling and stir until distributed.
3. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Try to distribute cherries evenly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 23 to 27 minutes. Let cool completely.