White Chocolate Cosmo Cupcakes

Happy days! The white chocolate Cosmo cupcakes' honor has been redeemed just by changing up the frosting. I kind of suspected a simple change like that was all that it needed but with my deadened sense of taste I couldn't be sure. I tried pairing the cupcakes with some leftover whipped white chocolate ganache and my husband has declared them to be a perfect match. I'll have to take his word for it as the only flavors I can currently taste are cinnamon and Nutella. So glad I was able to rescue these babies as the idea was a solid one.

I'm not a big drinker but I do like the flavor combinations of certain cocktails, so spotting some limeade in the fridge and the cranberries taking up space in the freezer I began to imagine having my very own Cosmo in cupcake form. Minus the alcohol, of course, because that's not my thing but with the added bonus of white chocolate. A fair trade off in my opinion. White chocolate's so versatile that it pairs well with most fruits, including tart cranberries and tangy limes. Heck, make that especially cranberries and limes!

Just so you're warned, the first frosting I tried was a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, which I think became too sweet with the powdered sugar the recipe called for. The sweetness overwhelmed the tartness and flavor of the lime and cranberries in the cake.

What I wound up with after making that slight change in frosting is a lime cake with white chocolate chips, a juicy cranberry sauce filling with a hint of orange, and whipped white chocolate ganache studded with dried cranberries. Just the right combo of tart and sweet. Much like me!


Note that the pictures shown are actually from my first round with the faulty cream cheese frosting. I'm not going to bother doing another photo shoot for these darn cupcakes because: 1) I'm too sick to expertly pipe frosting, dust another cranberry with sugar, and set up my whole photo area just for one picture, 2) The cupcake won't actually look any different after all of that effort, and 3) It's raining outside so there's no decent light and no way my cupcake and I will sit outside getting wet and miserable on top of having the plague (that last part applies only to me, not the cupcake). Have I not suffered enough for my craft?!

White Chocolate Cosmo Cupcakes

Lime Cupcakes
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup granulated sugar
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Juice of one lime PLUS enough limemade to equal 2/3 cup
Zest of one lime
2 whole large eggs
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 liners.
2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until the mixture looks sandy.
3) Combine the lime juice, limeade (combined to equal 2/3 cup), and lime zest. Add all at once to the batter. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
4) With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Add the second egg, again beating for 30 seconds.
5) Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and fold in the white chocolate chips.
6) Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, rotating once halfway through. Cupcakes are done when they’ve domed, are a light golden brown around the edges, and spring back when pressed gently on top.
7) Let cool in pan approximately five minutes, remove from pan and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cranberry Sauce Filling
Recipe from A Whisk and a Spoon

Just under 1/2 cup sugar
Just under 1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons orange zest
Pinch of salt
6 oz whole cranberries, fresh or frozen

1) Bring sugar, water, orange zest and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add in the cranberries.
2) Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cranberries pop.
3) Transfer to a nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4) Using the cone method, fill each cupcake with a spoonful of filling and replace cake top.

Whipped White Chocolate Ganache
Recipe adapted from Vanilla Garlic

12 ounces white chocolate (good quality)
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1) Chop chocolate and transfer to a heat proof bowl.
2) Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour cream over the chocolate.
3) Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4) Add butter to the chocolate (make sure it's soft) and stir until combined.
5) Whisk together 2 cups sugar, salt, and vanilla in another bowl until combined.
6) Pour the sugar mixture onto the chocolate mixture, then stir until combined and smooth. If necessary, incrementally add more sugar until the consistency and taste are right for you.
7) Let sit at room temperature until thickened, about 2 hours.
8) Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Keep close watch as this can suddenly separate.
9) Gently stir in chopped cranberries and spread onto cupcakes.