The Best Festive & Moist Cranberry Orange Cupcakes

Are you searching for the perfect, festive, and completely stunning dessert for your Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration? A treat that is bursting with the bright, cheerful flavors of the holiday season? These incredible, from-scratch Cranberry Orange Cupcakes, with their tender, orange-kissed crumb and a vibrant, ruby-flecked cranberry cream cheese frosting, are the beautiful and delicious answer.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s your guide to creating the ultimate holiday cupcake. We’ll show you the simple secrets to an incredibly soft and moist spice cupcake, and how to create a show-stopping frosting by infusing a classic cream cheese base with a homemade, fresh cranberry-ginger sauce. These are the perfect individual desserts that are guaranteed to be the star of any holiday party.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Perfect Holiday Cupcake

What makes these Cranberry Orange Cupcakes so spectacular is their stunning, festive appearance and their incredible, perfectly balanced flavor. The cupcake itself is a simple, moist, and tender butter cake, delicately flavored with warm spices and bright orange zest. The true star, however, is the fresh cranberry cream cheese frosting. We create a simple, from-scratch cranberry-orange-ginger sauce on the stovetop, and then beat it into a classic, tangy cream cheese frosting. The result is a beautifully colored, sweet, tart, and unbelievably delicious topping that is simply unforgettable.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	2 hours (plus cooling time)
Active Prep Time	35 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	12 cupcakes

The Essential Ingredients for These Festive Cupcakes

This recipe is made from two delicious, from-scratch components.

• The Orange Spice Cupcakes: A wonderfully moist and tender butter cake.
  • Melted Butter & Room Temperature Eggs: Using melted butter makes the batter incredibly easy to mix, while room temperature eggs ensure a smooth, well-emulsified batter and a perfect, even crumb.
  • Orange Zest: The bright, fragrant essential oils from fresh orange zest infuse the entire cupcake with a beautiful, sunny citrus flavor.
  • Warm Spices: A classic, cozy blend of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves provides the perfect warm spice notes to complement the fruit flavors.
• The Cranberry Cream Cheese Frosting: The vibrant, sweet, and tangy crown of our cupcakes.
  • The Cranberry Sauce: A simple, from-scratch sauce made from fresh or frozen cranberries, orange juice, and finely chopped fresh ginger creates a bright, spicy, and perfectly balanced base for our frosting.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: It is absolutely crucial that your full-fat, block-style cream cheese and your unsalted butter are both fully softened to room temperature. This is the non-negotiable secret to a perfectly smooth, creamy, and lump-free frosting.

Step-by-Step to the Perfect Holiday Cupcakes

This is a fun and rewarding baking project. Let’s break it down into simple, manageable parts.

Part 1: Bake the Orange Spice Cupcakes

Step 1: First, position an oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, the 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, the pinch of ground cloves, and the 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt.

Step 3: In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the 2/3 cup of granulated sugar and the 2 large, room temperature eggs for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy.

Step 4: While continuing to beat, gradually pour in the 1 1/2 sticks of melted unsalted butter, and then beat in the 1 teaspoon of orange zest.

Step 5: With the mixer on a medium-low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then add the 1/2 cup of milk, and then the remaining flour mixture, taking care not to overmix the batter.

Pro Tip: The batter will be thin, similar to a pancake batter. For easy and mess-free pouring, you can transfer the finished batter to a large, liquid measuring cup.

Step 6: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops spring back when you press them gently.

Step 7: Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cupcakes must be completely cool before you attempt to frost them.

Part 2: The Cranberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Step 1: While the cupcakes are cooling, make the cranberry sauce. In a small saucepan, bring the 1 1/2 cups of fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the juice of 1 orange, and the 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger to a simmer over medium heat.

Step 2: Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved, the cranberries have burst, and the mixture has thickened into a beautiful, jammy sauce.

Step 3: Let the cranberry sauce cool completely. Once cooled, set aside about 1/3 cup of the chunkier sauce to use as a garnish later.

Step 4: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese and the 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter until they are completely smooth.

Step 5: Beat in the 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. Then, add the main portion of your cooled cranberry mixture and beat until it is completely incorporated and the frosting is a beautiful, rosy-pink color.

Part 3: Assembling Your Festive Cupcakes

Once your cupcakes are completely cool, divide the prepared cranberry cream cheese frosting evenly among them. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to create a beautiful, rustic swirl on top of each cupcake.

For a final, elegant touch, garnish each cupcake with a small dollop of your reserved cranberry sauce and a thin strip of fresh orange zest.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

These Cranberry Orange Cupcakes are a fantastic treat to make ahead for a party or a special occasion.

• Make-Ahead: You can make all the components separately in advance. The baked, unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. The cranberry sauce and the cream cheese frosting can both be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let the frosting soften slightly and give it a quick whip before using.
• Storage: Because of the cream cheese frosting, the finished, frosted cupcakes must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4 days.

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Creative Recipe Variations

1. Add a Nutty Crunch: For a delicious textural contrast, you can fold 1/2 cup of finely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts into the cupcake batter at the very end. Toasted pecans would also be a beautiful garnish.
2. Make it a Loaf Cake: If you prefer a loaf cake, you can pour the prepared batter into a greased and floured 9×5-inch loaf pan. You will need to increase the baking time to about 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely before frosting.
3. Use a Different Citrus: For a different but equally bright and festive flavor profile, you can try making this recipe with a lemon-cranberry or even a lime-cranberry combination. Simply swap the orange zest and juice for your citrus of choice.

Enjoy Your New Favorite Holiday Cupcake!

You’ve just created a wonderfully fun, creative, and delicious cupcake that is sure to be the star of your holiday season. These Cranberry Orange Cupcakes are a perfect harmony of a classic, tender spice cake and a bright, tangy, and festive frosting. It’s a sweet and simple way to celebrate the cozy flavors of the season in a perfect, individual-sized package.

We hope you and your family love making—and eating—this delicious new tradition!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who is looking for a fun holiday baking project!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)