Sugared Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream
Delicious vanilla cupcakes with a cranberry swirl baked inside, topped with white chocolate buttercream and sugared cranberries. The perfect festive cupcakes for the holidays!
Servings 14 cupcakes
Ingredients
Sugared Cranberries
- 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 Cup (120ml) water
- 1/2 Cup (50g) fresh cranberries
Cranberry Swirl
- 1 Cup (95g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp water
- pinch of salt
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 Cups (132g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
White Chocolate Buttercream
- 6 Oz (170g, 1 scant cup) white chocolate chips
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Make the Sugared Cranberries (Ahead)
- In a small saucepan, create a simple syrup by mixing together the water and 1/4 Cup of the granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then allow it to simmer for 2 minutes on low. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Place a piece of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet, then place a cooling rack on top. Stir the cranberries into the saucepan to coat them in the syrup, then use a slotted spoon to remove them from the saucepan and place them onto the cooling rack to dry for 1 hour.
- Roll the cranberries through the remaining sugar to coat them. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Make the Cranberry Swirl
- Add the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, cornstarch, water, and salt into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil and the cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place into an airtight container in the refrigerator to let cool for about 30 minutes, or until room temperature. It will thicken into a jam-like consistency as it cools.
Make the Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake or muffin tin with cupcake liners. Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for 2 minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg and egg white, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for 1 full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
- Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Add a spoonful of cranberry swirl onto the top of each cupcake and use a toothpick to gently swirl it around. Bake for 15-18 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting.
Make the White Chocolate Buttercream
- Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until there are no lumps. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the powdered sugar, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, give the melted white chocolate a few stirs (make sure it’s not hot enough to melt the butter OR is too cool and starting to harden. It should be just slightly above room temperature) and add it in. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined.
Assembly
- Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the white chocolate buttercream. Top each cupcake with a swirl, then garnish with sugared cranberries.
Notes
*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need.
Make ahead tips:
- The sugared cranberries can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. If they start to weep, re-roll them in fresh granulated sugar and they'll be good as new!
- The cranberry swirl can be made up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The cupcakes can be baked ahead and stored covered with plastic wrap at room temperature up to 2 days ahead of decorating. You can alternatively store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- The white chocolate frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer to bring it back to piping/frosting consistency.