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

Cranberry buttercream

Arina Habich
This luscious Cranberry Buttercream is a festive twist on a classic favorite—smooth, creamy, and bursting with a hint of tart cranberry flavor. Made with real cranberry puree and a touch of vanilla, it pipes beautifully and adds a gorgeous pop of pink to cakes, cupcakes, and holiday treats. You can even fold in finely diced fresh cranberries for a little texture and sparkle!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2.5 cups
Calories 74 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Glass mixing bowl
  • Kitchen Aid mixer
  • silicone spatulas
  • Piping bags
  • Piping tips set
  • Sifter
  • Hand blender

Ingredients
  

For the Cranberry Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon cranberry puree
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 8 Fresh cranberries finely diced, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch salt

Optional Cranberry Puree

  • 1 cup Fresh cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoon water

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. After mixing in all the powdered sugar, run the mixer on high speed for 8 minutes.
    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.
Keyword buttercream, christmas, cranberry