Sea Salt Chocolate Cupcakes with Fresh Cranberry Buttercream and Sugar Frosted Cranberries
A combination of sweet and tart cranberries and just a touch of sea salt paired with chocolate makes these cupcakes an amazing dessert to serve during the holidays.
Ingredients
- Makes 12 cupcakes:
- 3/4 cup of flour I used King Arthur gluten free mix
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 3/4 cup of cocoa powder
- 1 cup of sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup of unsalted butter softened and cut
- 1/4 cup of milk I used almond
- 1/2 tspoon of baking powder
- 1 tspoon of vanilla
- 1 tspoon of sea salt
- Buttercream:
- 36 fresh cranberries
- the rest of the 12 oz packet of cranberries
- 1 cup of sugar
- zest of 1/2 orange
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 stick of butter soft
- 8 oz of whipped cream cheese
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
- 2,5 cups of powdered sugar
- honey for coating
- sugar and sprinkles
Instructions
- To make cranberry puree, combine cranberries, water, sugar and orange zest and cook on a low flame, stirring often until berries are soft and mixture is thick, 15 minutes.
- Cool off and make puree in a food processor, set aside.
- For cupcakes, mix flour with cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
- Cream together butter and sugar, add sour cream and eggs one at a time, beat in vanilla and milk.
- Gradually add flour mixture and beat into wet ingredients.
- Line cupcakes with liners and fill each about 3/4 full.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes and cool before frosting.
- To make sugar cranberries, coat them with honey, line on a parchment paper and chill for 15-20 minutes, then roll each in either sugar or sprinkles, set aside.
- To make buttercream, cream together butter and whipped cream cheese, gradually add heavy cream and continue whipping until mixture is very light.
- Add vanilla and cranberry puree, beat together.
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar until all is combined.
- Frost cupcakes as desired and top with sugar cranberries.