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1
Starting with the cake, cream the butter and sugar and orange zest - for really light cupcakes always use a balloon whisk or the whisk attachment on your mixer.
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2
Add the lightly beaten eggs roughly one egg at a time, whisking after each addition.
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3
Once the eggs are well combined sieve the flour into the mix and gently fold in with a large metal spoon (taking special care to fold gently to keep all the air in the mixture)
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4
Fold the orange zest in with the last bit of flour, then fold in the milk and the cranberries, then, spoon the mixture into prepared cupcake cases.
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5
Bake in a preheated oven (180C) for approx 12 minutes or until golden and springy to touch.
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6
While the cupcakes are in the oven, make an orange soak.
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7
Squeeze the juice of one orange & sieve into a jug and add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and whisk.
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8
Take the cupcakes out of the oven and leave in their tins.
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9
When they are still warm, use a cocktail stick to make a few holes in each cupcake.
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10
Put two teaspoons of the orange soak over each cupcake.
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11
Leave to cool in their tins.
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12
Now make the buttercream.
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13
Put the icing sugar in a bowl with all of the (very soft) butter, 50ml of milk and the vanilla essence.
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14
Beat well, ideally with an electric mixer or an electric hand mixer, if you are beating by hand then use a wooden spoon and beat until really fluffy.
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15
Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water and fold into the buttercream mixture & beat again.
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16
Smooth or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with a fresh cranberry.
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17
The cake base freezes really well so, you could make the cakes in advance and pop them in the freezer ready for unexpected guests at Christmas.
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18
Add the buttercream after they have defrosted.
