With our Christmas preparations in full swing, I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen these days! I’m baking everything from Lemon Crinkles to Mincemeat Cake and lots more. Family recipes like Aunt Dorothy’s Butterscotch Squares and Auntie Irene’s Coconut Date and Cherry Squares always feature on our cookie trays.
Of course, I try to include new recipes every year as well. This year I’m featuring a recipe from Rachel’s Organic that is full of seasonal flavours. Orange and Cranberry Cupcakes are lovely, light little cakes with tangy dried cranberries and a sweet orange hit that everyone will love.
I love baking with yogurt. It adds a wonderful, light texture and a lovely tangy flavour to baked goods. This is, however, the first time I’ve used yogurt in icing. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautifully the icing worked on these Orange and Cranberry Cupcakes, as well as how delicious it was.
It’s also easy to jazz the icing up a bit with fun Christmas sugar decorations or edible gold sprinkles. The cupcakes come together so quickly, they are a fun kitchen project to work on with the younger members of the family as well as an easy recipe to throw together if you are suddenly expecting last minute guests.
Orange and Cranberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 225 grams 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 225 grams 1 cup caster sugar
- 225 grams 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons self raising flour OR use plain flour and add ½ teaspoon salt and 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 100 grams that's a generous ⅓ cup Rachel's low fat vanilla yogurt
- 70 grams a heaping ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- the zest of one orange
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice about half the orange
- To decorate:
- 250 grams 1¾ cup icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- about 30 grams 1 to 3 tablespoons Rachel's low fat vanilla yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F)/ Fan oven 170°C (325°F)/ Gas Mark 5.
- Arrange paper cases in muffin tins.
- Put the butter, sugar, flour and eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about two minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.
- Fold in the yogurt, dried cranberries, orange zest and juice.
- Fill the paper cases half full and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. The cupcakes should be starting to turn golden.
- Remove from the baking pans and cool on a wire rack.
- When the cakes are completely cool, make the icing.
- Gradually add the yogurt to the icing sugar, mixing until a smooth, drizzle-able consistency is reached.
- Decorate each cupcake with a blob of icing and spread with a palette knife. Alternatively leave to run to the edges of the paper case.
- Leave the icing to set.
- Cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag #apriljharris on Instagram and follow @apriljharris for more.
If you enjoyed this post you may also like my Lemon and Ginger Cupcakes.
You can find more great recipes from Rachel’s Organic here.
Promotional consideration has been received from Rachel’s Organic, however this has not affected the opinions contained in this post which are completely my own.
Comments & Reviews
pam says
Those are so pretty!
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Pam 🙂
Winnie says
Such wonderful cupcakes!
I really like the combination you’ve chosen – orange and cranberry 🙂
April Harris says
Thank you, Winnie 🙂
Hadia says
I have never made icing with yogurt, April! Such a fantastic idea.The little cupcakes sound so pretty and inviting. 🙂
April Harris says
Thank you so much, Hadia 🙂 I was so pleased with how well the yogurt worked and how delicious the icing was!
mjskitchen says
Usually I make a cranberry quick bread, but these muffins look fabulous!
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! See you in 2016!
April Harris says
Thank you, MJ! I make a Cranberry Orange Loaf as well but I couldn’t resist these little cupcakes. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Look forward to seeing you in 2016!
Crystal Green says
These not only look beautiful, but they sound delicious too. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
April Harris says
Thank you, Crystal! And yes, we really did have a lovely Christmas. Hope you did too 🙂