Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Every now and again you come across a cupcake that makes you do a double-take, one so full of flavor and pizazz that you must make it. This is that cupcake! 

Sparkling Cranberry Cupcakes

Let’s just start with the name. When I found this recipe online at Life Love and Sugar I was tickled by the name. 

And I could understand where that name came from. With the sparkling cranberries perched atop that luscious white chocolate buttercream, (sprinkled in sugar, no less), the whole cupcake really did sparkle! 

I was intrigued. But mostly, I was drawn in because I had a bag of cranberries that needed to be used. 

And, as I pointed out in my recent Christmas Cupcake Ideas post, cupcakes are my go-to when I’m looking for an easy but lovely dessert, one I’m proud to take to a party. 

A Complex Cupcake

I mentioned above that cupcakes are relatively easy to make, and they are. This one, however, has four separate components and is a bit of a commitment. So, I’m going to start by telling you the order in which you should make the various components for the best outcome. 

The sugared cranberries: These are simple to make and so, so pretty. But they take time so you’ll want to make these first. 

The filling: This cupcake has a cranberry mascarpone filling. (By the way, I used cream cheese because I thought I was out of mascarpone. Imagine my surprise, after I finished this project, when I found a full container of mascarpone in my fridge. Ugh.)  The filling takes a while to firm up so, in my opinion you’ll want to make this before you bake the cupcakes and refrigerate. 

The cupcake: This is a traditional vanilla cupcake, a from-scratch recipe. Mine took 17 minutes to bake. The original recipe calls for 14 – 16 minutes. 

The frosting: This is a white chocolate buttercream, which was so delicious that I plan to use this recipe again and again. (More on that later.)  It can be made while your cupcakes are baking. Just make sure your white chocolate is completely cooled before adding it to the butter. 

Sparkling Cranberry Cupcake Ingredients 

Sparkling Cranberry Ingredients

• granulated sugar, (divided, see instruction)
• water
• fresh cranberries

Cranberry Mascarpone Filling Ingredients

• fresh cranberries
• water
• sugar
• mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese, chilled)

Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• Pinch salt (if you’ve used unsalted butter)
• room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• granuated sugar
• vegetable oil
• vanilla extract
• room temperature eggs
• whole milk

For the White Chocolate Buttercream

• white chocolate chips (or almond bark)
• room temperature butter, (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• powdered sugar
• Pinch of salt if you use unsalted butter
• heavy whipping cream

Garnish: 

• Rosemary, mint, basil, or other greenery of your choice
• Extra sugar for sanding

(Note: For the sake of this post I used tiny silk leaves that resemble basil. I didn’t have any of the culinary herbs available and I knew I wouldn’t be serving these to guests. They are simply used to stir your creativity.)

How to Make Sparkling Cranberry Cupcakes

As I mentioned above, these are a process, but they’re so worth it! Here’s how you’re going to do it. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Place liners in a cupcake pan. (This recipe will make a dozen so you’ll just need one pan.) 

Make the Sugared Berries

Place the water and 1 cup of the sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Stir until dissolved. Pour into a heat safe bowl to cool for several hours. Gently roll the berries (a few at a time) in the remaining sugar about an hour before starting this project, then set aside to dry. 

Make the Mascarpone Filling

Place cranberries, water, and sugar into a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil until berries begin to pop. Simmer for about 8 – 10 minutes over low heat until berries are cooked down. 

Place in a food processor and process. 

Set aside to cool completely. Add mascarpone and mix well. Set aside to firm up. 

Make the cupcakes

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl and whisk together. 

Place butter, oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and cream together for three minutes until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. 

Alternate dry ingredients with milk until you’ve got it all worked in. 

The batter might look a bit curdly but this is okay. Just keep going. 

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. 

Bake for 14 – 17 minutes or until cupcakes spring back to the touch. 

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Once cool, use a cupcake corer to make a hole in the center of each cupcake. I usual a Wilton 1M tip for this process. 

I poke it down into the cupcake. Then I lift up. Then I use a small spoon or knife to lift the loose cake up. 

(Full disclosure: I like to nibble on these “cupcake holes” while decorating.) 

Make the White Chocolate Buttercream

Melt white chocolate chips (or almond bark) in 30-second increments until smooth and creamy. It’s important to have no lumps whatsoever. They will clog up your piping tip. (Ask me how I know.) 

Stir well and set aside to cool. 

Cream butter for several minutes until it’s light in color and fluffy. 

Once the white chocolate is completely cool, pour it into the butter. Mix together until well combined. 

Add in five cups of powdered sugar. 

Now thin it out with a bit of heavy cream or milk until it’s a consistency you enjoy. 

Place frosting in a piping bag with the tip of your choice. I chose a Wilton 1M. 

Let’s Bring it All Together! 

Using a small spoon or tiny scoop, add a dollop of the mascarpone filling to the holes in the cupcakes. 

Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. 

Add 2 – 3 sugared berries to the top of each cupcake. 

Add a mint leaf or rosemary sprig (or basil or other culinary herb of choice). Sprinkle on more sugar if you like!

Serve and enjoy! 

Store in the refrigerator. They will stay good for 5 – 6 days. I don’t recommend freezing these cupcakes.

Note: These are yummy chilled, but not ice cold because the frosting will be too firm.

What to Expect from these Cupcakes

As I mentioned above, these are just delightful! You can never go wrong with a good vanilla cupcake. And that creamy cranberry filling? I mean, c’mon! The minute I saw how pretty it was, I knew I would love it. (I’m a fan of cranberry flavoring and knew the creamy version would surely be delicious. It was!) 

I have to say, the real star of the show for me was that white chocolate buttercream. I’ve fallen so in love with it that I think I’ll devote an entire post to it. I love my Dreamy Buttercream. I use it for just about everything. But now that I’ve tasted white chocolate buttercream, I might have to switch things up the next time I make a birthday cake for one of the grandkids. No kidding! 

Of course, those little sugared cranberries were delightful, as well. I always enjoy making those. 

All in all, I would say this was a huge success. If I changed anything at all, it might be to use a boxed mix for the cupcakes so that the recipe would make more. (It would also be less time-consuming.) There was plenty of filling, buttercream, and sugared berries for more than one dozen cupcakes. 

Variations on this Recipe

This came together so easily and was such a delight! I’m already looking at other variations. Here are a few that come to mind: 

Almond Extract: If I make this again, I might add a bit of almond to the cupcake batter. I think that almond and cranberries pair together beautifully. 

Orange Cupcakes: Orange and cranberry just go together! It would be fun to take an orange cake mix (or a white cake mix with orange zest and juice) and use it as a base for this recipe, leaving everything else the same. 

Lemon Blueberry: If you can sugar cranberries, surely you can sugar blueberries. Right? I’d like to give it a try, anyway. I would love to make this cupcake in lemon form and add blueberry filling and sugared (fresh) blueberries on top. 

Lemon Curd Filling: I had a delicious recipe for lemon curd and I think it would make an amazing filling for this particular cupcake. 

Other Cranberry Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

If you love cranberries, we’ve got you covered! Here are some crowd favorites you’re sure to enjoy. 

Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Bars: Luscious and delicious, packed full of holiday flavors, these bars will be a hit at your Christmas gathering.

Cranberry Banana Bread: One of my favorite-ever banana bread recipes. (Who knew that bananas and cranberries go together?!)

Orange Cranberry Slice and Bake Cookies: Still a personal favorite! I love the simplicity and ease of this little cookie.

Orange Cranberry Cookies: This is the light and fluffy version, almost like a tea cake!

Orange Cranberry Bread Pudding: You’re going to swoon over the orange sauce on this one, friends!

Check out this 3-ingredient Cranberry Sauce from my Southern Home Express. I can’t wait to give it a try!

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious new cranberry cupcake recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.