Guiness Gingerbread and Cranberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
This is an experiment for the Cupcake Hero Challenge.
I love fresh cranberries and was inspired by this challenge to come up with something new.
The Guiness makes for a rich and complex flavor in the gingerbread and the cranberries add a nice fresh zing. And how can you go wrong with cream cheese?
24 cupcakes
| CAKE: | |
| 1 | cup Guinness or dark beer |
| 1 | cup mild-flavored (light) molasses |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons baking soda |
| 2 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 2 | tablespoons ground ginger |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons baking powder |
| 3/4 | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 | teaspoon ground cloves |
| 1/4 | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
| 1/8 | teaspoon ground cardamom |
| 3 | large eggs |
| 1/2 | cup sugar |
| 1/2 | cup dark brown sugar - (packed) |
| 3/4 | cup vegetable oil |
| 3 | cups fresh cranberries |
| @32542 | |
| CANDIED CRANBERRIES: | |
| 1 1/2 | cup water |
| 1/2 | cup sugar plus more for rolling |
| 1 | cup fresh cranberries |
For Candied Cranberry Garnish:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, dissolve sugar into 1 ½ cups water. Lower heat to barley a simmer. Add cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from heat and strain cranberries. Discard liquid. When cranberries are cool enough to handle, roll in granulated sugar. Place on waxed paper.
For Cake: Line 24 cupcakes with paper holders. Bring stout and molasses to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Let stand 45 minutes to 1 hour to cool completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour and next 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk eggs and both sugars in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in oil, then stout mixture. Gradually whisk stout-egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in fresh cranberries. Using ice cream scoop, fill cupcakes 2/3rds full.
Bake until tester inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks; cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped in plastic and keep at room temperature.) Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and garnish with candied cranberries.
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