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–+ servings
Swirled cranberry buttercream piped into a tall peak and topped with fresh cranberries for garnish.

Cranberry buttercream

https://arinaphotography.com/cranberry-buttercream/
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2.5 cups
Calories: 74kcal

Ingredients

For the Cranberry Buttercream

Optional Cranberry Puree

Equipment

Instructions

Make the Cranberry Puree

  • Combine 1 cup cranberries, 2 tablespoon sugar, and 2 tablespoon water in a saucepan. Simmer the cranberries over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until they burst and soften.
    Close-up of fresh cranberries in a pot sprinkled with sugar, ready to be cooked down for cranberry puree.
  • Remove from heat and blend using a hand blender until smooth.
    Cooked cranberries breaking down into a thick, chunky mixture in a saucepan, the first stage of making cranberry puree.
  • Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skins.
    Strained cranberry solids left behind in a fine mesh sieve, showing the separation process for making smooth cranberry puree.
  • Let the puree cool completely before using.
    Close-up of smooth and glossy homemade cranberry puree in a glass bowl, ready to use for baking or frosting.

Make the Cranberry Buttercream

  • Beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes).
  • Add cranberry puree and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
    Partially mixed cranberry buttercream frosting in a glass mixing bowl, showing swirls of butter and cranberry puree not yet fully blended.
  • Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing between each addition.
    Glass mixing bowl with cranberry buttercream mixture and a mound of powdered sugar on top, ready to be blended with a whisk attachment.
  • Dice the fresh cranberries finely.
    Close-up of finely diced fresh cranberries in a glass bowl, showing their bright red skins and pale interiors.
  • Fold them gently into the buttercream with a silicone spatula.
    Pink cranberry buttercream being whipped in a glass bowl with chopped cranberries ready to fold in.
  • Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a metal tip.
    Piping bag filled with cranberry buttercream, fitted with a metal star tip, ready for decorating.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.01mg