Don’t make your guests choose between cupcakes and cheesecake.  These cranberry syrup-filled chocolate sponge cake cupcakes are frosted with real cranberry cheesecake - cooked in a pot, chilled, and then spread on top of the cupcakes.  The cupcakes are decidedly decadent and just the thing to grace your holiday table.

Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cranberry Syrup Ingredients
10 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup orange juice
1 cup sugar

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer for twenty minutes.

Use a sieve to strain out the berries. 

Reserve both the syrup and berries.

Cupcake Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cake flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Cranberry syrup from above

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat egg yolks thoroughly.
Gradually mix in sugar and cocoa powder.
Mix in water and vanilla.
Slowly mix in flour until just combined.
In another medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.
Add cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
Evenly divide the batter between 12 cupcake liners, filling them almost to the top.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.
Using a small paring knife, remove a cone shaped piece from the center of the cupcake.

Using a spoon or a turkey baster, fill the hole with cranberry syrup.

Replace the removed cupcake piece, cutting it to size if necessary.  It will be covered with frosting so it doesn’t have to look pretty.
Optionally, drizzle any leftover cranberry syrup on top of the cupcakes.

Frosting Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ of the cranberries reserved from the cranberry syrup (If you want to use all of the cranberries, double the frosting recipe and have leftover cheesecake to snack on.)

Directions
In a medium-sized saucepan, mix cream cheese, sugar, and eggs.
Heat on medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring regularly to smooth the mixture out.
Allow to boil for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir in cranberries.
Cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate for at least three hours, allowing the cheesecake to set.

Spread onto cooled cupcakes.