My Goodness. My Guinness Gingerbread Cranberry Cpcake.

Here's the latest installment of Iron Cupcake. Challenge ingredient: Cranberry.

This is a Guinness Gingerbread Cranberry Cupcake with cream cheese frosting and fresh cranberry sauce...


* Voting will begin no later than Sunday, November 30 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER and will be open through Friday, December 5 at 12 noon.
* Winner will be posted the night of December 5, before 11:59 p.m.

There are many cool prizes I can win (and maybe even share) if you VOTE for me!

Our November ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:
* LOLLIPOP WORKSHOP
* COOKIE SUNSHINE
* as well as a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES.
* PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth is excited to welcome back CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

As an added bonus for November only we have a delicious apron complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY.

Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS; the CUPCAKE COURIER ; TASTE OF HOME books. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.

Happy Holidays Everyone!
Cheers!
Nicole

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Guinness Gingerbread Cuppies with Cranberries and Cream Cheese Frosting
(Concept inspired by Dessert Lounge. I then modified a Gingerbread cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World, and made up the rest.)

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup light molasses (I used blackstrap molasses plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup soy milk (or silk creamer)
1/4 cup Guinness Stout (or other stout will work fine)
~1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cranberries


Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup vegan butter, softened
½ cup vegan cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cranberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh whole cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
zest of one orange
juice of one orange


FOR CUPCAKES:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until smooth. Fold in crystallized ginger & cranberries. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake for 19-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack and let cool completely before frosting.

FOR FROSTING:
Cream together butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time. Mix until smooth and creamy, adding vanilla. Adjust texture with additional sugar and/or a little soy milk if needed. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.


FOR CRANBERRY SAUCE:
Add water and sugar to sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until boiling, stir. Add cranberries, 10 minutes or so.orange zest and orange juice. Stir occasionally until cranberries pop, and sauce thickens - about