Tart and sweet small batch cranberry buttercream frosting is a beautiful way to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and anything in between! Fresh cranberry sauce and a mix of cream cheese and butter to make the creamiest frosting. Perfect on a classic batch of vanilla cupcakes or a festive decoration on frosted butter cookies!
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cranberry Frosting, Cream Cheese, Small Batch
In a small saucepan, add the cranberries and water. Cook the cranberries over medium-low heat until they start to burst and the mixture starts to resemble jammy sauce. This may take about 5 to 7 minutes.
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 tablespoon water
Strain the cranberries through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Be sure to scrape the underside of the strainer to get all of the sauce - you should get about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Note- If you prefer a chunky frosting, you can skip straining the cranberry sauce and add about 1 to 2 tablespoons to the frosting. Set aside to cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Using a hand held mixer on medium speed, beat the mix until it is light and creamy.
In increments (to avoid spraying powdered sugar everywhere), sift the powdered sugar over the butter mix, beating after each addition. Tip- Sifting the powdered sugar will avoid lumps and grainy frosting.
1¼ cup powdered sugar
With the last addition of powdered sugar, add 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce, and continue beating until incorporated. Taste the frosting and if you prefer a stronger cranberry flavor, add more sauce. Additionally, if you prefer a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar in 1 tablespoon increments.
Frost the cooled cupcakes, garnish with any decoration you like, and Enjoy!
Notes
Serving Size - This recipe will yield enough frosting for 4 to 6 cupcakes (depending on how much frosting you like on your cupcakes) or 1 6-inch cake (single or double layer).
Double The Recipe - This is an easy recipe to double if you need a larger batch.
Cream Cheese - Use full fat cream cheese for the best results. Low fat and spreadable carton cream cheese may result in a runny frosting.
Cranberries - I prefer to use fresh cranberries for fresh, pure cranberry flavor. However, you can use leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays or even canned cranberry sauce if you prefer.
Sift Powdered Sugar - For smooth and not-grainy frosting, use a small sifter to sift the powdered sugar into the butter mix.