Guiness Gingerbread and Cranberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Carla

This is an experiment for the Cupcake Hero Challenge.

I love fresh cranberries and was inspired by this challenge to come up with something new.

The Guiness makes for a rich and complex flavor in the gingerbread and the cranberries add a nice fresh zing. And how can you go wrong with cream cheese?

24 cupcakes

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 1 cup Guinness or dark beer
• 1 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar - (packed)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• @32542
• CANDIED CRANBERRIES:
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar plus more for rolling
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Preparation

Step 1

For Candied Cranberry Garnish:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, dissolve sugar into 1 ½ cups water. Lower heat to barley a simmer. Add cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from heat and strain cranberries. Discard liquid. When cranberries are cool enough to handle, roll in granulated sugar. Place on waxed paper.

For Cake: Line 24 cupcakes with paper holders. Bring stout and molasses to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Let stand 45 minutes to 1 hour to cool completely. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour and next 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk eggs and both sugars in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in oil, then stout mixture. Gradually whisk stout-egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir in fresh cranberries. Using ice cream scoop, fill cupcakes 2/3rds full.

Bake until tester inserted into centers of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks; cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead, wrapped in plastic and keep at room temperature.) Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and garnish with candied cranberries.