We’re continuing Cranberry Week with these White Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes and they’re the perfect mix of sweet and tart. Sugared cranberries finish them off and make them a great finish to any holiday or winter get-together!
I love cocktail parties, especially around the holiday season. We throw our annual holiday party on the first weekend in December each year and we always try to keep it simple with tasty apps, amazing sweets, and of course, some killer cocktails. We always try to do a fun theme too from Cocktail Dresses to Ugly Sweaters to Festive Flannel. I still haven’t decided on this year’s theme yet, and we’re less than a month out… any ideas? While you think on it, let’s talk about those cupcakes shall we?
Cranberries and White Chocolate just seemed like a natural pair. I knew the tartness of the cranberry would be a great dancing partner for the sweet white chocolate and together they’d make one hell of a holiday duo! I started with my very popular white chocolate cupcake recipe from my White Chocolate Raspberry Champagne Cupcakes, it’s super light and fluffy with just a hint of white chocolate. I then paired it with an adaptation of my cranberry creme frosting first seen on these Dark Chocolate Cranberry Brownies. But these beautiful cupcakes wouldn’t be complete without some Sparkling Cranberries to top them off!
White Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 Box Betty Crocker White Cake Mix
- 1- 3.4 oz. package White Chocolate Instant Pudding
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
Frosting:
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 cup Instant White Chocolate Pudding Mix dry
- 1/2 cup Confectioners' Sugar
- 6 oz. Freeze Dried Cranberries I use Trader Joe's
- Sparkling Cranberries
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Line cupcake pan with liners.
- Beat all ingredients together until smooth.
- Fill liners about ? full of batter.
- Turn oven down to 350 F.
- Bake cupcakes for 18 - 20 minutes.
- Test with a toothpick to check that they are done, transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack.
Frosting:
- Combine heavy cream, pudding mix, and confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer or large bowl and whip until frosting starts to thicken.
- Add freeze dried cranberries to a food processor and blend until you have a fine dust.
- Add cranberry dust into the frosting and beat for another 30 seconds or so until stiff peaks form.
- Use a bag or decorator tool to pipe frosting on cooled cupcakes.
- Serve same day for best results.
Nutrition
Hop through to these other great blogs participating in the Holiday Cocktail Party to check out their recipes!
Appetizers
Domestic Superhero – Just Us Four – The Blue Eyed Dove – Sweet Pea – Glued To My Crafts – Patricia Eales Nutrition – Lemons and Laughs – Cupcakes&Crowbars – Sowdering About – Vegetarian Gourmet – Yesterday on Tuesday – Mom Home Guide – My Craftily Ever After – The Love Nerds – One Krieger Chick – Kenarry: Ideas for the Home – A Dish of Daily Life
Cocktails & Mocktails
One Artsy Mama – The Blue Eyed Dove – Sparkle – Albion Gould – Southern State of Mind – Eat Drink Eat – A Labour of Life – My Creative Days – Shelstring – I’m Bored Lets Go – Blue Crab Martini
Desserts & Sweet Treats
Major Hoff Takes A Wife – This Is The Life I Have Chosen – Crazy for Crust – Sypsie Designs – DIYfaerie – Little Blog on the Homestead – Laura’s INKlings – Life Made Sweeter – Tried & True – FrugElegance – Play. Party. Pin.
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Judi says
I cannot find freeze dried cranberries-could I freeze dried cranberries and try using those or would they be too sweet?
Rebecca says
Hi Judi, freeze-dried cranberries and frozen dried cranberries would be very different and yield a different texture. I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but you can also get them on Amazon: https://goo.gl/MVCyy1
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These cupcakes are gorgeous, Rebecca! Love the white chocolate and cranberry combination! That frosting looks so creamy and your photos are stunning!
[email protected] says
Thank you so much, Kelly!
Winnie says
I love white chocolate and these cupcakes are mouth-watering!!
[email protected] says
Thank you, Winnie!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
These are absolutely gorgeous!!
[email protected] says
Thanks so much, Dorothy!
Jenny.U says
So pretty and I am sure tasty too!
Joanna Sormunen says
Oh My Goodness! They are so beautiful! and I bet they taste even better than they look!
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
Gorgeous pic, Rebecca – I wish I could reach in and grab one!
Christine says
That picture of the cupcake sitting on top of the frozen cranberries is just breathtaking. I literally almost held my breath a few seconds!
Debi @ Life Currents says
Everything about these is beautiful! I love the cupcakes, but even more impressive are those sugared cranberries! So awesome!
Sandra @ A Dash of Sanity says
Wow! These are just absolutely gorgeous!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Your cupcakes are gorgeous!! They almost look too good to eat…although I would have no problem eating them! I would be honored if you would share them with us at Foodie Fridays this week…our party goes live at 9 pm EST on Thursday night. Regardless though, I am pinning and stumbling and sharing these beauties on my Facebook page!