Cranberry Cupcakes
Cranberry cupcakes are a great cupcake recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cupcakes are made with moist and fluffy vanilla cake studded with bits of cranberries, frosted in cranberry buttercream frosting, and topped with sugared cranberries.
Ingredients for Cranberry Cupcakes
Cranberry Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Large egg, room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract enhances the Biscoff flavor.
- Milk – Room temperature.
- Cranberries – Fresh cranberries. For this recipe, I cut the cranberries in half or quarters.
Cranberry Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Cranberry reduction – Concentrated cranberry puree made with just cranberries and water.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract provides great underlying flavor,
- Salt – A bit of salt contrasts the sweetness of the frosting.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream helps make the frosting smooth and creamy.
Additional Ingredients
- Sugared cranberries – Learn how to make sugared cranberries here to decorate the cupcakes.
How to Make Cranberry Cupcakes
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Make the cupcake batter: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream the granulated sugar, butter, and vegetable oil until combined and smooth. Add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix well. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk, mixing in between, until the batter is combined and smooth. Fold in the chopped cranberries.
- Bake the cupcakes: Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop (about 3/4 full). Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream: Whip the butter for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined. Add the cranberry reduction and mix well. Drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Turn the mixer to medium and whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 857 piping tip with the cranberry buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with sugared cranberries.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to make the most out of this recipe!
- Check out this blog post on how to make sugared cranberries to decorate these cupcakes.
- If you want to learn more about my favorite cupcake baking and decorating supplies, be sure to check out this post for more information.
- Learn how to frost cupcakes and my favorite piping tips for frosting cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cupcakes?
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
What is cranberry reduction?
- Cranberry reduction essentially an unsweetened cranberry sauce. Cook the cranberries with water in a saucepan on the stovetop and blend them to create a concentrated cranberry reduction.
Can I use frozen cranberries for the cupcakes and frosting?
- For both the cupcakes and frosting, I recommend using fresh cranberries over frozen cranberries.
- If you can’t get access to fresh cranberries, you can use frozen. When making the cupcakes, I recommend thawing the cranberries and then blotting them with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
Other Holiday Flavors You Will Love
- Gingerbread cupcakes
- Cranberry orange cupcakes
- Peppermint mocha cupcakes
- Chocolate peppermint cupcakes
- Hot chocolate cupcakes
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Cranberry Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Cranberry cupcakes are a great cupcake recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cupcakes are made with moist and fluffy vanilla cake studded with bits of cranberries, frosted in cranberry buttercream frosting, and topped with sugared cranberries.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 2 tbsp (24 g) sour cream room temperature
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk room temperature
- ¾ cup (75 g) fresh cranberries chopped
Cranberry Buttercream Frosting
- 3 oz (85 g) fresh cranberries
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.2 tsp) salt
- 1 tbsp (15 g) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- 36 (36) sugared cranberries learn how to make sugared cranberries
Instructions
Cranberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Then, pour in the milk and mix. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Fold in the chopped cranberries.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cranberry Buttercream Frosting
- First, make the cranberry reduction. Cook the fresh cranberries and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat covered, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the mixture thickens. Carefully use an immersion blender to blend the cranberry mixture until smooth (You can also use a small food processor or blender). Run the cranberry puree through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds. Cool the cranberry reduction to room temperature before making the buttercream frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter for about 5 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy.
- Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Mix the frosting on low speed for several minutes to remove any air bubbles.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 857 piping tip with the cranberry buttercream frosting. Pipe a swirl of the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with sugared cranberries.
Notes
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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