Best Cranberry Orange Cupcakes Recipes

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, and coat the liners and the top of the tin with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, clove and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and eggs in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. While continuing to beat, gradually pour in the butter, then beat in the orange zest. Adjust the speed to medium-low, and add half the flour mixture. Add the milk, then the remaining flour mixture, taking care not to overmix the batter. It will be thin, like pancake batter; transfer it to a liquid measuring cup to make filling the muffin cups easier.
• Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared muffin tin. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. (The cupcakes can be baked a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• For the frosting: Bring the cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice and ginger to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Set aside 1/3 cup for garnish.
• Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar. Add the cooled cranberry mixture, and beat until completely incorporated.
• Divide the frosting evenly among the cupcakes, and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to swirl. Garnish each with a dollop of reserved cranberry sauce and a piece of orange zest.

ORANGE CRANBERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and orange zest over low heat until hot (but not boiling); cool to lukewarm, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the egg and egg whites one at a time, and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add half the flour mixture, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly among the liners and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch (some may be slightly golden on the sides before this happens) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting with orange frosting.
• To bake as a cake:
• Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit, and butter the parchment. Flour the pans, coating the bottom and sides of each pan, then tap out the excess flour. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake until the tops are dry to the touch, the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (for generally the same amount of time as in the cupcake recipe). Let cool on a wire rack, then remove each cake from its pan, discard the parchment paper, and set one cake layer on a cake round, frosting turntable, or the final serving platter. Frost the top of that cake layer with the frosting, stack the second layer on top, and frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
• To make the orange frosting:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium, add the milk, orange zest and juice, and vanilla and beat until fully blended, 1 to 2 minutes, making sure not to incorporate too much air into the frosting.

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Mix together 2/3 cup sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature until sugar is infused with orange flavor, about 3 hours.
• Combine orange juice concentrate and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring continuously, until thoroughly combined and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let orange syrup cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.
• Combine butter and orange zest-sugar mixture in a large bowl; mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in yogurt and eggs until blended. Alternately fold in flour mixture and 2/3 cup of the orange syrup (that should be pretty much all of the syrup) in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in nuts and dried cranberries.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, about 20 minutes.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat to make the icing. Add 1/2 cup cranberry sauce and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Gradually add sifted powdered sugar to icing. Beat with an electric mixer until thick enough to spread, adding a little hot water if icing is too thick.
• Spread frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and let it harden just a bit. Pipe a ring of cranberry sauce around the edge of each cupcake and sprinkle with orange zest for some added color.

WHOLE WHEAT CRANBERRY ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a cupcake pan with twelve paper baking cups.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
• Slowly add the eggs, mixing after each addition.
• Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by one third of the milk. Mix slowly. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the milk. Mix again slowly. Add the final third of the flour mixture, followed by the final third of the milk. Mix slowly, stopping to scape down the bowl.
• Add the orange zest and mix until completely incorporated.
• Using a spatula, gently fold in the cranberries.
• Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, fill each baking cup so that it is two-thirds full, and bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• For the glaze:
• Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl, and warm in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring until fully mixed. Let the glaze cool for 10 minutes before drizzling on the cupcakes.
• Serve in a lined basket, and enjoy for a delicious breakfast!

ORANGE CRANBERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups.
• Place 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl; add baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt; whisk to combine.
• Heat 2/3 cup milk and 2 tablespoons orange zest in a small saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool to lukewarm, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Beat granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce to medium-low; add egg and egg whites, one at a time, beat until creamy after each addition.
• Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just blended after each addition.
• Toss together cranberries and remaining 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl. Gently fold berries into batter.
• Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, and bake until the tops are just dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 cup butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, gradually add powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated.
• Increase speed to medium, and add remaining 1 teaspoon milk, 1 tablespoon each orange zest and juice and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla.
• Beat until blended, 1 to 2 minutes, not incorporating too much air into the frosting. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes.