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Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 124 reviews
  • Author: Lisa
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes are a festive and elegant treat perfect for holiday gatherings or special occasions. Featuring moist vanilla cupcakes filled with a luscious cranberry mascarpone filling, topped with a smooth and creamy white chocolate buttercream, and finished with sparkling sugar-coated cranberries and fresh rosemary, these cupcakes are sure to impress both in flavor and presentation.

Ingredients

Scale

Sparkling Cranberries

  • 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1 cup (115g) fresh cranberries

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cups (155g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large Eggland’s Best eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (30ml) milk

Cranberry Mascarpone Filling

  • 2 tbsp (30ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
  • 6 oz mascarpone cheese, chilled
  • 1 cup cooked cranberries (from sparkling cranberries and cooked filling)

White Chocolate Buttercream

  • 12 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3–4 tbsp (45-60ml) heavy whipping cream
  • Fresh rosemary for garnish

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cranberries: In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and water to a simmer until sugar dissolves completely. Pour the simple syrup into a heatproof bowl, let it cool for about 10 minutes. Add fresh cranberries, stir to coat them thoroughly, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. After soaking, roll cranberries in the remaining sugar to coat and allow to dry for about an hour.
  2. Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cupcake pan with liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vegetable oil until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each; add vanilla with the second egg. Gradually add half the dry ingredients, mix, then slowly add milk. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth but do not overmix. Fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 14-16 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
  3. Make the Cranberry Mascarpone Filling: In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, and some prepared cranberries; cook on medium heat until cranberries pop and mixture thickens (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Allow filling to cool to room temperature, then stir in chilled mascarpone cheese until fully incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Make the White Chocolate Buttercream: Melt white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. In a separate large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Slowly add melted white chocolate in increments, mixing well. Add half the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp heavy cream, mix until smooth. Add the remaining powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, mix again. Adjust consistency with remaining heavy cream as needed for a smooth, spreadable buttercream.
  5. Assemble & Serve: Use a cupcake corer or knife to remove centers from cooled cupcakes. Fill centers generously with cranberry mascarpone filling. Pipe or spread white chocolate buttercream on top of each cupcake. Garnish with 2-3 sparkling cranberries and a small sprig of fresh rosemary. Optionally sprinkle some leftover sparkling sugar on top for extra sparkle. Refrigerate until ready to serve; best served cool but not cold.

Notes

  • Yields 12-14 cupcakes.
  • Store cupcakes covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; will keep up to 4-5 days but best eaten sooner.
  • For freezing, wait to prepare sparkling cranberries until after thawing. Freeze cupcakes on a baking sheet until buttercream hardens (about 1 hour), then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Thaw in fridge before serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cupcake
  • Calories: 420 kcal
  • Sugar: 38 g
  • Sodium: 120 mg
  • Fat: 26 g
  • Saturated Fat: 15 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 43 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Cholesterol: 70 mg

Find it online: https://yumyy.com/sparkling-cranberry-white-chocolate-cupcakes-recipe/