Cranberry Orange Cupcakes

Cranberry orange cupcakes are bursting with fresh flavor and just the right amount of zing—these are the cupcakes everyone will be talking about!

This cupcake recipe is the perfect mix of sweet and citrusy, and they’re a great option when you want something a little different from the usual fall desserts.

Learn how to make a simple, flavorful sweet treat that’s great for holidays, brunches, or any time you need a quick seasonal bake.

How to Make Orange Cranberry Cupcakes

Start by scrolling down to print out the full recipe, then gather all of your ingredients so you’re ready to go!

• To make the cupcakes, whisk together the dry ingredients, then beat the sugar and oil until smooth before adding in the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
• Lightly coat the cranberries in a bit of flour before adding them to the batter. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
• Combine the wet and dry mixtures, then fold in the orange zest and cranberries.
• Fill lined muffin tins and bake at 350°F for about 18–22 minutes.
• While they cool, whip up a creamy orange frosting using butter, powdered sugar, and fresh orange juice.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. For bakery-style frosting swirls, a large star tip makes it easy to get that classic look.
• Then finish each one with sugared cranberries for a festive touch!

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Struggling with flat cookies or dry cake? Grab my Baking Troubleshooting Guide and fix baking fails fast!

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Be sure to check out these other helpful tips and delicious ideas you won’t want to miss:

• Love this flavor combo? You’ll also want to try our cranberry orange muffins or cranberry orange scones—perfect for a fall breakfast recipe or a quick snack.
• If you’re a fan of rich, tangy toppings, this cream cheese frosting recipe is a must-try for cupcakes, cakes, and more.
• Explore even more cranberry recipes for everything from festive desserts to holiday side dishes.
• Get inspired with these cozy fall dessert recipes that are perfect for entertaining or just a little something sweet after dinner.
• Wondering how to keep cupcakes moist? These simple tricks will help your cupcakes stay soft and fresh for days.

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes Recipe

Learn how to make cranberry orange cupcakes from scratch! This easy recipe is packed with flavor and perfect for your next gathering.

Print Pin Rate

Course: desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry cupcakes, cranberry orange cupcakes, Orange cranberry cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes minutes

Servings: 18

Author: momma lew

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 ¼ cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup White Sugar
• ½ cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs room temperature
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• Zest of One Orange about 1 ½ Tablespoons
• 1 cup Cranberries

For the Frosting:

• 1 cup Butter
• 5-6 cups Powdered Icing Sugar
• 3 tbsp Orange Juice as desired
• Orange Zest as desired

For the Sugared Cranberries:

• 18 Cranberries
• ½ cup Water
• ½ cup White Sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line two muffin trays with 18 muffin liners. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and oil until light and fully combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract and milk.
• Add the flour in gradually until well-combined and no lumps remain. Add orange zest and cranberries and stir to distribute.
• Portion the cupcake batter into the prepared liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full.
• Bake cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, until lightly golden and an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
• While the cupcakes cool, prepare your frosting.
• Beat together the butter, powdered sugar and orange juice for 2 minutes until light and forming stiff peaks. Adjust flavor with additional orange juice or zest. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar for a stiffer frosting, or more juice for a softer frosting.
• Scoop the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, starting in the center, working your way out to the edges and then back towards the center and up.
• Dip each cranberry in the water then roll in the white sugar. Garnish each cupcake with a cranberry.

Notes

Store cranberry cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temp before serving for the best flavor.