Description
These Cranberry Orange Muffins are a delightful burst of fresh citrus and tart cranberries baked into moist, fluffy muffins. Perfect for breakfast or a festive snack, they feature warm spices like nutmeg and cardamom for added depth, finished with a sweet orange glaze to enhance the flavor and presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- â…“ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon orange extract (optional)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- â…“ cup orange juice
Fruits
- 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons whole milk (adjust for consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare muffin tin: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Sift dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set this mixture aside to be incorporated later.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and orange zest until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and extracts: Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition to ensure an even mixture. Then mix in the pure vanilla extract and the optional orange extract for enhanced citrus flavor.
- Mix sour cream and orange juice: In another bowl, whisk together the full-fat sour cream and orange juice to create a smooth wet mixture.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Using the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the creamed butter base, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in cranberries: Gently fold the fresh or frozen cranberries into the batter, ensuring even distribution without breaking them up.
- Fill muffin cups and bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool muffins: Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare and drizzle glaze: To make the glaze, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and whole milk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled muffins before serving for a glossy, flavorful finish.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh cranberries, but frozen cranberries can be used; do not thaw them to keep the berries firm in the muffins.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt if desired for a similar texture and tang.
- Adjust the milk quantity in the glaze to get your preferred consistency; less milk for thicker glaze, more for thinner drizzle.
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature to help mix evenly and produce a tender crumb.
- These muffins freeze well; store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
