Iron Cupcake World: Cranberry

I am competing in Iron Cupcake World, and this month's ingredient is Cranberry. I made White Chocolate, Cranberry, Macadamia nut cupcakes with cranberry and cheese frosting.

The prizes for winning iron cupcake come from:
Lollipop workshop
Cookie Sunshing
earings from Lots of Sprinkles
Cakespy
and a super cool apron from SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY
and corporate sponsors:
Head Chefs by Fiesta Products
HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
JESSIE STEELE APRONS
The Cupcake Courier(would also make a great xmas gift...hint, hint)
Taste of Home Books
and Iron Cupcake is sponsored by 1 800 flowers





White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Cupcakes with Cranberry Cheese Frosting

I started with a basic white chocolate cupcake recipe:
Heat the oven to 325 and put liners in your pan

Mix 2/3 c buttermilk and 1 tbsp white vinegar and set aside

cream 11tbsp butter with 1 1/3c white sugar. once creamed add 3 large eggs one at a time.

take 3/4c of white chocolate chips and heat in a sauce pan with 1/3c water and stir until you get a milky mixture. add 1 tsp vanilla to the chip mix

melting the white chocolate


let the mixture cool for a smidge, then add half to the egg, butter and sugar mixture. Let the mixer run for a minute, then add the rest.

In a separate bowl add 2c flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt and whisk together. Add to the mixture a little at a time.

Fold in another 3/4 c of white chocolate chips, 1 cup cranberries, and a small package of macadamia nuts that you've placed into a ziplock baggie and whacked a few times with a rolling pin (unless you're fancy and have a nut grinder, or use your food processor I guess)

adding the cranberries


Add batter until the cupcake liner is around 1/3 full. Then take a teaspoon scoop of cranberry jelly and plop it in the middle (I <3 the teaspoons from Ikea because they are nice and round).

adding the cranberry sauce


Fill up another 1/3 of the way and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes.

For the frosting take 1 packet of cream cheese, 1 5oz log of chevre, and 1 1/2 stick of butter and cream. Add around 1/3can of cranberry sauce, and add powdered sugar to the right consistency. I also took craisins, whirled them around in the food processor and added them for extra cran-tasticness.

They got a good review from the folks at the party I brought them to.

as for the contest:
Voting will begin no later than Sunday, November 30 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.com and will be open through Friday, December 5 at 12 noon. PLEASE VOTE!