12 Weeks of Christmas Treats - Week 2: Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Week 1 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats was such a hit!! In case you missed it, Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is hosting a link-up party for other bloggers who want to participate in posting a different Christmas treat each week, for the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas. This gives our readers plenty of ideas to choose from, as well as time to bake and freeze ahead of time if they want to. I saw so many great recipes last week, I can't wait to try them!!

For week 2 I decided to go with these Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes, and can I just say...WOW!! My co-workers are almost always the recipients of my baked goods, and while they are excited for anything I bring, these cupcakes got more oohs, aaahs, and "you've outdone yourself" comments than all the other treats I've made. Even I, who rarely eat the goodies once I've removed them from my house, couldn't stop myself from eating three of them! A light, fluffy cupcake, packed full of citrusy flavor, topped with white chocolate ganache and buttercream?!?!? Merry Christmas to us all!!

Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Source: Your Cup of Cake

Ingredients

Yields 60 mini cupcakes (approx. 30 standard size cupcakes)  

• White Cake mix
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 cups chopped dried cranberries

 For the ganache

• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 5 Tbsp heavy cream

For the buttercream

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp white chocolate instant pudding powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites, egg, oil buttermilk, sour cream and zest at low speed. 
3. Add in the cake mix and mix on medium speed, then fold in cranberries.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to fill cupcake liners ¾ full. Bake for 10-12 minutes (14-16 for standard size), until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 minute, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the ganache by melting the white chocolate chips and heavy cream together in a double boiler or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time until almost melted, then stir until compleltely melted. Be careful not to heat to long or the chocolate will burn.
6. Invert the cooled cupcakes, one at a time, and dip into the ganache. Place back on the wire rack and allow the ganache to set.
7. Meanwhile, in the (cleaned) bowl of your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed for 4 minutes.
8. Add in the pudding mix, vanilla extract and powdered sugar and mix at medium-low speed until well combined. (Add up to an additional 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, if the frosting is too thin.)
9. Use a spatula to scoop the frosting into your piping bag with your preferred decorating tip, and pipe away!! Top with red sugar sprinkles for an extra festive display.