Cranberry Mimosa Cupcakes Recipe (Gordon Ramsay Club)

These beautiful cranberry mimosa cupcakes are so delicious – you simply cannot resist them! First, I saw them at a baby shower party a month ago – but I didn’t have the opportunity to taste them because they “left” very fast! So, I assumed that they were really tasty and I needed to make them by myself. They are refreshing, creamy, fruity, and amazing! I definitely recommend them!

Servings 12 to 14 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the sparkling cranberries:

• 310 grams (1 1/2 cups) sugar, divided
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) water
• 120 grams (1 cup) fresh cranberries (you can also use frozen cranberries, softened)

For the cupcakes:

• 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 155 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
• 50 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
• 55 grams (1/4 cup) sour cream, room temperature
• 15 grams (1 tablespoon) finely grated orange zest
• 3 large egg whites, room temperature
• 160 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 8 grams (2 teaspoons) baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) fresh squeezed orange juice, room temperature
• 100 ml (7 tablespoons) champagne, room temperature

For the frosting:

• 120 grams (1 cup) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) water
• 100 grams (½ cup) sugar
• 110 grams (½ cup) butter, room temperature
• 95 grams (½ cup) vegetable shortening
• 340 grams (3 cups) powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60ml) champagne
• 1 to 2 oranges, sliced

Instructions:

To make the sparkling cranberries:

• In a saucepan, add ½ sugar and the water and bring to a simmer (and simmer until sugar is completely dissolved). Put the syrup into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool for around 10 minutes.
• Add cranberries and stir to coat. Then, place the cranberry syrup in the fridge overnight.

To make the cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/ Gas Mark 4. Prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, around 3 to 4 minutes. (Don’t skimp on the creaming time.)
• Put sour cream, vanilla extract, and orange zest and combine. Add egg whites in 2 batches, mixing until well combined.
• Mix dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine champagne and orange juice in another bowl.
• Add ½ half of the dry ingredients to the batter and combine well. Add the orange juice mixture and mix until well combined. Place the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Fill cupcake liners about halfway. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
• Next, remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, and then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
• Remove the sparkling cranberries from the syrup and roll in the remaining cup of sugar.
• You will need to roll them a few times to get a couple layers of sugar on them. Set cranberries aside to dry for about half an hour to an hour.

To make the frosting:

• Mix water, sugar, and cranberries in a saucepan and cook on medium-high heat for around 5 to 7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to pop. Then, remove from heat and leave aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Next, transfer cranberries to a blender and puree. Strain the blend through a fine mesh sieve. End up with about ¼ cup (60ml) of cranberry puree. Leave aside.
• Whisk the butter and shortening in a mixer bowl until smooth. Add around ½ of the powdered sugar and combine until smooth. Add the cranberry blend and mix until well combined.
• Then, put the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
• Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of champagne, as required, until the frosting is a good consistency for piping.
• Next, pipe the frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Top the cupcakes with the sparkling cranberries, plain cranberries and ¼ slices of oranges.
• Finally, store cranberries in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. They are best served at room temperature.

Enjoy!