White chocolate with cranberries always go hand-in-hand and these cupcakes are no different. Rich velvety white chocolate cupcakes frosted with a natural rose pink buttercream made with fresh cranberries.
Move on over orange because we’re going PINK!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to show support, I’ve partnered with KitchenAid to help bring awareness in fighting against breast cancer through their 10,000 Cupcakes One Great Cause program and YOU can join in too! It’s so EASY!
To participate, all you have to do is share a photo of your cupcake recipe on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #10000Cupcakes AND #Donate, and KitchenAid will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen to help support the fight against breast cancer, up to $10,000. It’s as simple as that!
But, if your like me and want more info on the rules & regulations and to learn more about Cook for the Cure in general, click HERE. Plus you can see a gallery of some pretty cool cupcakes that have been submitted too!
And if you thought that was awesome, KitchenAid is also giving away an Artisan Design Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer in Raspberry Ice PLUS a Polka Dot Ceramic Bowl as shown below. How awesome is that?! So while the entire month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’ve decided to run this giveaway for the same duration. This means, more chances YOU could win and help support the cause!
See below recipe to enter giveaway.
Now if you’ve been dying to know more about these cupcakes, because we all know that’s why you’re really here 😉 I’m going to say this is the best way possible to not sound like I’m exaggerating, these are the most luxurious white cupcakes I’ve made to date. By a simple mistake of adding a little too much butter, I’ve managed to create a richly dense, velvet-like cupcake.
The frosting is made through a process of breaking down fresh cranberries into a compote, straining the liquid and adding it into the buttercream. This is what gives the frosting its natural pop of pink color.
With cranberry season coming, this is a great way to use that extra few cups you may have left from other recipes or make it just because!
White Chocolate Cupcakes with Cranberry Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
White chocolate with cranberries always go hand-in-hand and these cupcakes are no different. Rich velvety white chocolate cupcakes frosted with a natural rose pink buttercream made with fresh cranberries.
Ingredients
COMPOTE
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
CUPCAKES
- 4 oz. white chocolate chips or 4 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup milk
FROSTING
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons cranberry compote
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- white pearls for garnish (optional)
Instructions
COMPOTE
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, mix cranberries, sugar and water together until cranberries begin to swell and burst. Allow cranberries to continue to breakdown for another 5 minutes giving a few stirs.
- In a small bowl run compote through a fine mesh sieve to remove skins and any large pieces; discard. Set cranberry juice to the side. Note: the juice may firm to a jelly state used for frosting.
CUPCAKES
- Heat oven at 350°F. Line each cupcake well with a cupcake liner; set aside.
- In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat microwave heating for another 30 seconds; stir. Continue to stir if about 75% of the chocolate has melted; the rest will melt on its own during the stirring process. Note: if after a total of 1 minute of microwave heating is not enough, continue to microwave stir after each 15 seconds increment. Set white chocolate aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl fitted to an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and creamy. Mix in sugar and continue to beat mixture until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla and continue to mix until just combined.
- Gradually mix in flour mixture and milk alternating in 3 equal parts until just combined. Fold in white chocolate and fill each lined cupcake well about 3/4th full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center is clean. Allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature before frosting.
FROSTING
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl fitted to an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and creamy. At the lowest setting, mix in 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cranberry compote and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. To increase volume, continue to add 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of compote at a time. Note: in general, for every 1 cup powdered sugar, add 1 tablespoon compote.
ASSEMBLY
- Using an angled knife, frost cupcakes when cooled.
- To achieve the rose design, fill two piping bags with a cupful of frosting in each; Bag 1 without a tip and Bag 2 fitted with a rose tip (I used Ateco 127).
- Cut ½ inch from the tip of Bag 1 and as you squeeze frosting towards the opening, twist the back of the bag to prevent backflow. Pipe a small mound of frosting in the center of each cupcake.
- Using Bag 2, angle the fitted bag with the wider opening of the rose tip facing down (like a raindrop) and perpendicular to the cupcake. Pipe rose petals around the mound of frosting in a “rainbow” motion. Continue to pipe each rose petal starting half way from the first rose petal. Continue layering rose petals in this manner until you reach the edge of the cupcake. Angle your wrist to have the bottom of the rose tip facing at a 45°angle. This will allow the petals to spread and face outward rather than straight up.
- Sprinkle white pearls in the center. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: white chocolate, cranberry, cranberry buttercream, cranberry frosting, white chocolate cupcakes
White Chocolate Recipes
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