Cranberry Rum Cupcakes with Ginger Buttercream

Yes, I know, another food posting, but it IS the season!

It was a happy, warm evening when I received the floppy manilla envelope with dried cranberries from my mom in the mail (along with some other foods that now seem exotic!).

Gathering the ingredients for this project encompassed a day of running errands back and forth to Rivas on a motorcycle. I never mind now, with the wind and sun on my face as I balance packages of food on either side and my friend driving balances another shopping bag in front on the gas tank. On top of that, I was in luck. I am now the proud owner of seven pounds of powdered sugar, I believe it is the only bag in the entire country.

I think forward to that evening, when I know the cranberries will simmer on the stove with aromas of cinnamon and cloves, becoming beautiful rubies plumped with juice. A dash of an indiginous rum (Nicragua is fields of sugarcane, all being harvested now), adds touch of warmth so I can pretend I need it for snowy weather outside.

The cupcakes were shared all around, although I held off on the cranberry rum syrup for the kids. Honestly, though, I do have a small bag of cranberries still stashed away for when I crave something from home!

Cranberry Rum Syrup

½ cup water
4 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tbsp dark rum
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cloves

Simmer together for half an hour, or use your favorite cranberry sauce recipe. Either way, strain the sauce to remove cranberries.

Cranberry Cupcakes

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 cups soft butter
4 large eggs
½ cup milk
Cranberries strained out from syrup

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in all dry ingredients at the same time. Mix in milk and cranberries. Fill cupcake pan slightly more than halfway. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. While hot, pour syrup over each cupcake. Frost with ginger buttercream.

Ginger Buttercream (from one of the queens of creative cupcakes)

Note: It’s best if the cupcakes are slightly lower so that the syrup is held in by the paper lining while soaking into the cake.