Sparkling Cranberry White Chocolate Cake

An absolutely amazing cake. Just look at those sugared cranberries- are they festive or what! Thank you Life, Love and Sugar

Sparkling Cranberries

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar, divided

1 cup (240ml) water

Cranberry Cake

3 1/3 cups (433g) all purpose flour

2 cups (414g) sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups (336g) salted butter (340g), room temperature

3 eggs

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup (240ml) sour cream

1 cup (240ml) milk

3 cups fresh cranberries

White Chocolate Icing

12 oz white chocolate chips

3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream

3/4 cup (168g) butter, room temperature

8-9 cups (920-1035g) powdered sugar

Sparkling Cranberries

• Bring 1 cup sugar and water to a simmer in a saucepan. 
• Simmer until sugar is completely dissolved.
• Pour simple syrup into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Add cranberries and stir to coat.
• Refrigerate cranberries in syrup overnight, stirred a couple times to coat with syrup.
• Remove cranberries from syrup and roll in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. 
• Roll them a few times to get a couple layers of sugar on them.
• Set cranberries aside to dry for a hour or so.

Cranberry Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom of the pans.
• Whisk together flour, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
• Add butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream and milk and mix on medium speed just until smooth. 
• Do not over mix.
• Gently stir in cranberries.
• Spread batter evenly between the three cake pan.
• Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.

White Chocolate Icing

• Place white chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
• Microwave heavy cream until it starts to boil. 
• Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.
• Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth.
• Allow ganache to sit until mostly cool. It should be thick.
• Beat the ganache with a mixer for about 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
• Add butter and beat until it is fully combined.
• Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until it is fluffy and the right consistency. 
• Add more cream if needed.

To put the cake together:

• Remove cake domes from cakes with a large serrated knife.
• Place first layer of cake on cake plate. 
• Spread about icing on top in an even layer.
• Add second layer of cake and add more icing on top in an even layer.
• Add final layer of cake on top and ice the outside of the cake.
• Top the cake with sparkling cranberries and add some around the edge, if desired.