Honey Cherry Surprise Cupcakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the olive oil, honey, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk on high speed for 1 minute, until well blended.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in three additions, mixing until just combined. The batter should remain slightly lumpy.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the lined cupcake pans, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Once the cupcakes are at room temperature, prepare the filling. You can either cut a small cone from the center of each cupcake and stuff it with cherry filling, or use a piping bag with a wide tip (such as a coupler) to inject the filling. A ziploc bag will not work.
7. To fill with a piping bag: Use a paring knife to cut an 'X' about halfway into the top of each cupcake. Insert the tip of the piping bag into the 'X' and squeeze until the tip is pushed out, filling the cupcake.
8. Frost the cupcakes with your favorite firm buttercream frosting (using a star tip like Wilton 1M). Optionally, use the back of a spoon to create a small well on top and place a cherry on each cupcake. For a true surprise, you can omit the top cherry.