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These orange cranbrerry cupcakes are moist and tender with tangy cranberries and a pop of orange in every bite. They are a perfect way to end a meal during the holiday season.
Fresh cranberries mixed with sweetener, orange zest, and fresh orange juice are some of the ingredients that are added to a Pillsbury sugar free yellow cake mix to make these cupcakes. A regular yellow cake mix can be substituted for those who do not tolerate artificial sweeteners. The use of egg whites and plain non fat yogurt goes a long way in lightening up these cupcakes.
You can garnish them with a dollop of Reddi-wip, Cool Whip or a shake of powder sugar over the top. For special occasions you can frost them with cream cheese frosting. If you need a more formal dessert, bake the batter in a bundt pan. Make a cream cheese glaze to drizzle over the top of the cake.
Whether it is a platter of cupcakes or a bundt cake, both are a great take along dessert to a holiday potluck meal or a holiday office party. Both will look great on a holiday table or buffet.
These orange cranberry cupcakes are easy to make, can be made ahead of time and they freeze well.
Please see the recipe card below for exact amounts and directions.
Ingredient Round Up
- Pillsbury sugar free yellow cake mix
- Fresh cranberries
- Orange
- Egg whites OR whole eggs
- Plain non fat yogurt
- Orange extract
- Sweetener of your choice or sugar – I used Truvia with stevia.
- Water
Making the Cupcakes
- Cut the fresh cranberries in half. Place the cranberries and sweetener into a small bowl and toss to cover the cranberries with the sweetener. Set aside.
- Collect the zest from an orange and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the orange into a measuring cup. Add water to the orange juice to bring it up to one cup and set aside.
- Place the cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add the egg whites, plain non fat yogurt, orange zest, orange extract.
- Slowly add the orange juice/water to the mixing bowl as you combine the ingredients with a hand mixer.
- Add the cranberries to the cake batter and fold them in until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Use a large cookie scooper and portion the batter out into foil lined cupcake wells.
- Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake until they are done.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
- Garnish the cupcakes with a dollop of Reddi-wip or Cool Whip, serve and enjoy. Extra cupcakes can be frozen until ready for use.
Serving Ideas
- An orange cranberry cupcake makes a great dessert after a meal.
- They are good served plain, with a dollop of Reddi-wip or Cool Whip or a shake or powder sugar over the top.
- These cupcakes pair well with vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream.
- A cup of coffee or tea with an orange cranberry cupcake is a nice mid morning or afternoon snack.
WW 2 pt per cupcake
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- spatula
- hand mixer
- measuring cup and spoons
- cupcake tins
- foil cupcake liners
- small bowl
- hand grater
- hand juicer
Ingredients
- 1 Pillsbury sugar free yellow cake mix
- 1½ c fresh cranberries
- ¼ c sugar or sweetener equivalent (see recipe note)
- 1 large orange, zest and juice
- 1 c juice from orange and water total
- 5 egg whites OR 3 whole eggs
- ½ c plain non fat yogurt
- 1 tsp orange extract, McCormick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Line cupcake tin wells with foil cupcake liners.
- Collect the zest from one orange with a hand grater and set aside.
- Collect the juice from the orange into a measuring cup with a hand juicer. Add water to the orange juice and bring it up to 1 cup and set aside.
- Rinse and dry cranberries if necessary. Cut the cranberries in half and place in a small bowl. Add the sweetener of your choice that is equivalent to ¼ sugar. I used 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp of Truvia with stevia. Set aside.
- Place the cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg whites, plain non fat yogurt, orange extract and some of the orange juice/water. Start to beat these ingredients together with a hand mixer. Continue to add the orange juice/water mix as you combine the ingredients until all the liquid is incorporated and you have a smooth cake batter.
- Add the cut cranberries with sweetener to the cake batter and gently fold them in.
- Use a large cookie scooper and portion the cake batter into the cupcake wells. I got 21 cupcakes out of this recipe.
- Place the cupcakes into the oven and bake at 350℉ for 22 - 24 min. Check the cupcakes at 22 min. You are looking for a toothpick inserted in the middle to come out clean or for the top to spring back when lightly pressed. If you think they are not quite done, bake an additional 1-2 min. My cupcakes baked for a total of 23 min.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven when done and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
- Serve when they are completely cooled. You can garnish them with a dollop of Reddi-wip or Cool Whip if you wish. Extra cupcakes freeze well.
