My goodness, aren’t these just gorgeous? My Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes are stunning for this time of year, and always, really! Soft white chocolate cupcakes with a hint of orange, filled with from-scratch cranberry filling, frosted in white chocolate orange buttercream, rolled in simple white sprinkles, and topped with sugared cranberries, these cupcakes are all dolled up for Christmas, and in the most elegant way possible for a lovely cupcake!

With four different elements, this recipe may look like a lot to tackle, but each element on it’s own is pretty simple to master (and super tasty to enjoy!). So let’s dive right into these Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes, shall we?

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes year after year

There are so many beautiful flavors of the season, and what I love best is baking right along with them! It brings new baking traditions into our kitchens, our families, and our hearts. Do you have a recipe you love to make each year when the holidays roll around? I love that. It passes onto the next generation and creates traditions that will last as long as we welcome them into our lives.

I wanted to create a cupcake that did just that. These are simply elegant, and the flavors were created to stand the test of time as you make them each year with your family for Christmas.

Aren’t they just gorgeous? I love the frosted look from the sugared cranberries, and the little sprig of cedar on top. The cupcake is my white cupcake recipe with a simple touch of orange using both orange emulsion and fresh orange zest. It’s so soft, and really can stand alone without any buttercream on top, they’re so delicious!

How to make the Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes:

Like I said before, there are four different elements, and individually they’re super easy. But together they’re absolutely spectacular!

Ingredients FOr the cupcakes

There’s mostly standard cupcake ingredients in this one, but I’ve added a little twist – orange!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 3 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon Orange Emulsion – I buy mine at my local baking stores and online here.
  • Zest of 1 Whole Orange – yep, the whole thing!
  • 2/3 Cup of Buttermilk – make sure it’s room temperature
  • 2/3 Cup of Sour Cream – same thing about the room temperature being essential.
  • 1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 White Cake Mix (Duncan Hines) – I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines, but you can use anything that’s similar. Just make sure it’s 15.25oz

Combine everything in a bowl, whisk it up, then split the cake batter into 24 cupcake tins. Bake them up and they’re ready to fill and frost!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

This buttercream is to die for! The white chocolate ganache is perfect with my white chocolate buttercream base. And then we added in a little orange emulsion to make it beyond dreamy!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips – I used Ghirardelli
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream – I prefer Darigold brand.
  • 3 sticks of unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups), removed from fridge for about 20 minutes
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon Orange Emulsion
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 5-7 Cups of Powdered Sugar, Sifted
  • 1/8 Cup Heavy Cream, if needed

Make the ganache, then use it in the buttercream (full directions below). Add in everything else and whip it up to high speed until it’s light and fluffy.

How to make Cranberry Filling for Cupcakes

Next comes the filling. It’s made on the stove with sugar, water, vanilla and fresh cranberries. Let them simmer together and wait for that little *pop* from the cranberries bursting (having a lid on it helps a lot). Add in a slurry to thicken everything up, and you’re all set for the filling. Make sure to let the filling cool before you add it into your cupcakes! I’m not necessarily a cranberry person, but this filling I could eat with a spoon and LOVED it.

Here’s the ingredients for the cranberry filling/compote:

  • 1/2 Cup + 2 teaspoons Water, divided
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch

I used a melon baller to scoop out the centers of the cupcakes before adding in the filling. This process is much easier when the cupcakes are frozen.

How to make sugared cranberries:

The sugared cranberries are super easy to make for these Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes, and create such a pretty “Frosted snow” look on an already gorgeous cupcake. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients for sugared cranberries:

  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar, divided
  • 1 Cup Fresh Cranberries

Just follow the directions below by making a simple syrup, adding in the cranberries to steep (get soft) for a while, then roll in sugar. The outside of the cranberries get a lovely shell of sugar, and the inside is soft. It’s amazing!!! I tasted too many of them before putting them on my cupcakes and had to make more, haha. You know it’s a winner when that happens.

Here’s a quick Video of the assembly:

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Cupcakes

5 from 1 vote
White Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Emulsion and Zest, filled with Cranberry Compote, Frosted in White Chocolate Orange Buttercream, Rolled in White Sprinkles and Topped with Sugared Cranberries.
Servings: 24 cupcakes
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Ingredients
 

White Orange Cupcakes

  • 2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream , room temperature
  • 4 egg whites , room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon orange emulsion
  • 1 15.25oz White Cake Mix, I prefer Duncan Hines brand for this one

Cranberry Compote Feeling

  • 1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

White Chocolate Orange Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, left out at room temp for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon orange emulsion
  • 5-7 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 cup more heavy cream if needed

Sugared Cranberries

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries

Extras

  • white sprinkles
  • washed cedar pine leaves (remove before eating)
  • sugared cranberries (recipe above)

Instructions
 

White Orange Cupcakes:

  • For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325 degrees and fill cupcake pan with 24 liners for 24 cupcakes. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, emulsion, zest, buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the cake mix until just combined (don't overmix).
  • Scoop batter evenly into each prepared cupcake liner, about ½-2/3 of the way full for each one.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes (don't overbake – cupcakes are not to be golden, just a soft white).

Cranberry Filling

  • In a small saucepan, combine sugar, ½ cup water, cranberries and vanilla. Bring to a simmer with a lid on and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the cranberries start to burst. Make the slurry by stirring together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small cup.
    Add into the cranberry filling and stir to thicken over low heat. Add in a touch more water if it's too thick. Pour filling into a glass dish and place in the fridge to cool completely before adding them to the inside of cupcakes.

White Chocolate Orange Buttercream

  • In a small glass bowl, stir the white chocolate chips and heavy cream together and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until there are no lumps. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add in the vanilla, emulsion, and salt and whip up to combine. Slowly stir in the ganache (white chocolate and heavy cream) and thoroughly combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Slowly add in the powdered sugar. You may use all of it, you may use only 5 cups. It depends on how thick of consistency you desire. If it's too thick, add in a touch more heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in more powdered sugar. Taste as you go.
  • Whip up the buttercream on the highest speed for 2-3 minutes to add volume and lighten color, then on low speed for about 30 seconds to help beat out any air bubbles.

Sugared Cranberries

  • Whisk water and ½ cup sugar in a small pot and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cranberries and make sure they're coated in the simple syrup. Place the lid on and remove from the heat. Steep for 10 minutes.
  • Strain cranberries, and roll cranberries in the rest of the sugar (you can always add more sugar to the plate you roll them on) and place on a parchment sheet to "dry" for 10 minutes.

Assembly

  • Scoop out the inside of the cupcakes (I like to do this frozen and with a melon baller) and fill with compote (I used a piping bag for this step). Frost with a large french tip (Wilton 8B) and roll the outside edge in white sprinkles. Top with sugared cranberries and sprig of cedar garland.

Originally posted December 2018, and updated and reposted in 2022.