Cranberry-Orange Cupcakes

Perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert table, these cranberry-orange cupcakes have a strong orange flavor thanks to a homemade orange syrup and orange zest.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 312 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• ¾ cup butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
• 1 orange, zested
• ⅔ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup orange juice concentrate
• 2 ounces chopped nuts
• 2 ounces dried cranberries
• ½ cup jellied cranberry sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 3

Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

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.

Step 10

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.