White Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes

Cranberry sauce piped into the centers makes for a sweet surprise inside these treats.

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25 oz.) pkg. French vanilla cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup oil
• 1⅓ cups butter, at room temp.
• 4 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• Sugared cranberries (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Prepare cake mix according to package directions with eggs, oil and 1 cup water. Divide among liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 15–18 min. Let cool 5 min. Transfer from pans to rack; let cool.
2. On medium speed, beat butter and melted white chocolate until smooth. On low, gradually beat in sugar, then sour cream and vanilla until combined. On medium-high, beat until fluffy, 2 min. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip.
3. Using paring knife, cut 1¼”-wide, 1″-deep cylinder of cake from each cupcake center; remove cylinder. Fill centers with cranberry sauce; top with cylinders. Pipe on frosting. If desired, garnish with sugared cranberries.