Preheat the oven to 356° F (180° C / 160° C fan) Line a cupcake or muffin pan with cupcake liners. (note 4)
In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), then set it aside.
2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
In a separate large bowl, beat together eggs, white granulated sugar and salt with an electric mixer on high speed.
2 large eggs, 1 cup white granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
Ensure that you continue beating for 4 - 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale in color.
Add yogurt or sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
1 cup plain unflavored yogurt or sour cream, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the sited flour, ⅓ at a time, beating on low speed with each addition just until combined. Do not overmix or cupcakes will turn out dense. You can also use handheld whisk to mix in the flour.
Once combined, the mixture should create a thick, smooth-textured batter.
Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners, filling them up to two-thirds of the way to the top. Be careful not to overfill, as this may lead to the batter overflowing during the baking process.
Bake at 356° F / 180° C (160° C fan) for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan then remove and continue cooling on a wire rack.
While the cupcakes are still a bit warm, use a paring knife to gently hollow out the center of each cupcake or use an apple corer for this purpose. The slight warmth of the cupcakes makes the process of coring or cutting into the center easier.
Don’t remove the cake all the way at the bottom though. We are just looking to make a well in the cupcake.
Spoon or pipe about ¼ to ½ teaspoon cherry jam or preserve into the center of each cupcake.
Place the prepared buttercream into a piping bag with your preferred nozzle and pipe it over the cupcakes. Alternatively, you can simply spread the frosting over the cupcakes instead of piping.
Garnish with your choice of a fresh, maraschino, or candy/glacé cherry, and add white chocolate shavings if you prefer.