These Cranberry Orange Cupcakes have the most amazing flavor and are so pretty, with sugared cranberries on top.
An orange-infused cupcake batter is swirled with fresh, juicy cranberries, baked, and then topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting. These are irresistibly good, and perfect for the holidays.
Cranberries pop into my kitchen every year just before Thanksgiving. Of course, I always make my homemade cranberry sauce to go with the roast turkey and mashed potatoes, but there are so many other delicious ways to cook with cranberries too!
Their tart, slightly sweet flavor makes cranberries the perfect mix in for recipes like cranberry scones, cranberry orange muffins, and now this delicious dessert: Cranberry Orange Cupcakes.
These are a HUGE hit wherever I take them!! I made mini ones but really had to play with the time! So good!!!
Wendy
This is a simple scratch cupcake recipe flavored with vanilla extract and fresh oranges. The cranberries are stirred into the batter at the last minute, and they create the most amazing juicy pop of flavor in every bite.
My easy cream cheese frosting is the perfect topping, adding sweetness and a buttery richness that perfectly complements the zesty, tart flavors in the cakes.
Cranberry Orange Cupcakes Recipe Highlights
- Delicious Fall Flavors – The tart flavor of cranberries pairs so well with oranges, and there’s something about this combination that just screams, “Fall!” Make these for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
- Made From Scratch – These scratch-baked homemade cupcakes will be 100 times better than anything that comes from a box, and I think they are just as good, if not better, than anything you’d find at a bakery. Plus, cupcakes made from scratch cost less!
- Moist, Tender Cupcakes – These homemade cranberry orange cupcakes won’t be the same as the light and airy cupcakes that come from a box mix. Instead, they are moist, tender, and wonderfully flavorful.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make these delicious cupcakes with orange and cranberries:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to measure by scooping flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: To make the cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Butter: For this recipe, allow the unsalted butter to soften at room temperature before you get started.
- Eggs: It’s also important that your eggs are at room temperature. They mix in more smoothly this way.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness.
- Milk and Orange Juice: These add moisture to the batter. Choose freshly squeezed orange juice if you can.
- Orange Zest: Before you juice the oranges, remove the very outer layer of the rind with a microplane grater.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla has a warm, floral flavor, but it also enhances the other flavors in this recipe.
- Fresh Cranberries: Folded into the cupcakes, they will pop in your mouth with amazing sweet-tart flavor!
- For the Frosting: Softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set it aside while you mix up the cupcake batter.
Tip!
To Make Sugared Cranberries: First, make a simple syrup by cooking ¾ cup of water with 1 ¼ cups of sugar. Soak fresh cranberries in the syrup for 15 minutes, then let them dry until they are sticky. Finally, toss the cranberries with granulated sugar.
Recipe Tips
- Measure Correctly. Get all my best tips for measuring ingredients! When baking cupcakes, proper measurement is key to getting the best end results.
- Don’t overfill the pan. Each cupcake liner should be approximately ¾ of the way full. This is important, as you don’t want the cakes to overflow in the oven.
- Let them cool. There might not be anything worse than putting buttercream or cream cheese frosting onto warm cupcakes. It will sadly just melt and slide right off!
- To pipe the frosting, I used a Wilton 1M tip. You can use your favorite piping tip too though. Instead of piping, you can also simply generously frost these cupcakes with a spatula for a more rustic feel.
- Decorate with whole cranberries, or try these with a sprinkle of orange zest on top. You will never go wrong with topping cupcakes with some pretty sprinkles either!
Cupcake Storing Tips
Because of the cream cheese frosting, you will want to store these cupcakes in the fridge.
Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-4 days.
Before serving, let the cupcakes sit out for a few minutes at room temperature so that the frosting softens.
More Desserts that are Perfect for Fall
These warm and cozy desserts are my favorite when the weather starts getting cooler:
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Swirled Pumpkin Brownies
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Recipe FAQs
Can I Double the Recipe?
Of course you can! Double all of the ingredients to make 24 cranberry orange cupcakes instead of just 12. Conversely, you can also split the recipe in half to make a small batch of cupcakes.
Can I add anything to the frosting?
Bring the cranberry orange flavor into your frosting too by adding a tablespoon of orange zest and a few tablespoons of finely chopped cranberries right to the bowl.
Will frozen cranberries work in this recipe?
They will! I suggest using them frozen rather than letting them thaw so that all of the juicy flavor stays with them.
More Fun Cupcake Recipes!
All Cupcakes →
Yum! I can’t wait for you to try this easy recipe for Cranberry Orange Cupcakes! Make them this weekend, or save the recipe for the next special occasion.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Cranberry Orange Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) orange juice
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup fresh cranberries plus more for garnish
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C), or 140°C if using a fan oven. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and pale, about 3 minutes.
- Add the orange juice and eggs to the butter mixture, followed by half of the flour mixture, and beat until combined.
- Mix in the milk and orange zest until incorporated, and beat in the remaining flour mixture until combined and smooth.
- With a spatula, fold in the cranberries.
- Fold in the cranberries with a spatula, and divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups filling about ¾ full.
- Bake in the oven for 16-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean with a few wet crumbs.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
To Make The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer that’s fitted with a whisk or a paddle attachment. Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Decrease the speed to low, and gradually add the powdered sugar (1 cup at a time), vanilla extract, and salt and beat again until all the sugar is incorporated.
- If the frosting is too thick, add cream and beat again. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar and beat again.
- Frost the cupcakes using a Wilton 1M piping tip, and decorate with sugared cranberries if desired.
Notes:
- To Make Sugared Cranberries: First, make a simple syrup by cooking ¾ cup of water with 1 ¼ cups of sugar. Soak fresh cranberries in the syrup for 15 minutes, then let them dry until they are sticky. Finally, toss the cranberries with granulated sugar.
- Measure Correctly. Get all my best tips for measuring ingredients! When baking cupcakes, proper measurement is key to getting the best end results.
- Don’t overfill the pan. Each cupcake liner should be approximately ¾ of the way full. This is important, as you don’t want the cakes to overflow in the oven.
- Let them cool. There might not be anything worse than putting buttercream or cream cheese frosting onto warm cupcakes. It will sadly just melt and slide right off!
- To pipe the frosting, I used a Wilton 1M tip. You can use your favorite piping tip too though. Instead of piping, you can also simply generously frost these cupcakes with a spatula for a more rustic feel.
- Decorate with whole cranberries, or try these with a sprinkle of orange zest on top. You will never go wrong with topping cupcakes with some pretty sprinkles either!
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Wendy says
These are a HUGE hit wherever I take them!! I made mini ones but really had to play with the time! So good!!!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad they were such a hit! Thank you so much for stopping back with a review!