Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Set them aside.

Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set it aside.

Using either a stand mixer, or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the butter and granulated sugar for 1 to 1½ minutes.

Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Add in the egg whites and mix just until well incorporated.

Add in the vanilla flavoring and the almond extract.

Slowly alternate adding in the flour mixture and the whole milk and cherry juice. Mix just until well incorporated.

Add 1 to 2 drops of the red food color and mix just until the color is even.

Evenly divide the cupcake batter between the 2 cupcake pans. Fill the liners about ⅔ full.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, using either a cupcake corer, or a sharp knife, carefully cut out the center of the cupcake. Be sure to keep the top of the cored cupcake.

Using either a decorator’s piping bag with no tip, or a quart-size Ziploc bag, fill the bag with half of the canned pie filling.

Place the tip of the bag all the way into the cored cupcake, and slowly squeeze the pie filling into the cupcake. Be careful not to overfill. Replace the cupcake top and set them aside.

Using either a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the softened butter and the shortening for 1 to 1½ minutes.

Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly alternate from adding the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and the half and half. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to mix until well incorporated.

Add in the cherry juice, vanilla flavoring and almond extract. Continue mixing until the frosting is completely smooth.

Fill either a piping bag with a star tip, or a gallon size Ziploc with an edge snipped off.

Holding the frosting bag about a ½ inch above the center surface of the cupcake, use even, steady pressure, and squeeze the baggie to form a center “star” swirl. Keeping the tip elevated, continue to use even pressure, and follow the outer line of the star swirl until the cupcake surface is frosted.

Once all the cupcakes are frosted, place a cherry with the stem attached on top of each decorated cupcake.