Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

I got married last night in a small private ceremony in Hollywood. My brother, his girlfriend, and a couple close friends were there and afterwards we came back to our place for a homemade Cranberry White Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake and Truffle Brownies with Chocolate Ganache. It was easy, intimate, and perfect. For more pictures and wedding info, see Popmuse.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1/3 cups milk
1/8 cup vegetable oil
2 (16oz) cans whole berry cranberry sauce
zest of one medium orange
4oz cup cream cheese
3 whole eggs
1 package vanilla pudding mix
red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. In a medium bowl mix cranberry sauce with orange zest. Add a little over 1/2 cranberry mixture (about 2 1/3 cups) to dry mix reserving the rest for cake filling. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 or 3 greased round cake pans. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 28 minutes.

Let cakes cool. Spread thin layer of frosting on the top of middle cake layers and cover with remaining cranberry mixture. Stack layers so that cranberry mixture is sandwiched inside the cake and frost with remaining frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

9 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and 2 1⁄2 cups of the confectioners' sugar, and blend on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Add more sugar as needed to make the frosting spreadable. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more.

Comments

[Guy]

Congrats to you both! The cake sounds incredible!

[Kim]

I love cranberries. This sounds amazing.

[Jimmy]

You guys are the greatest. Hope you have a happy life together full of good eats and boom boom mixes. I've made those brownies before and they are mind blowing.

[Steven]

Been following your blog for a long time and I am so pleased for you both. Congratulations.

[Michael]

Fabulous!
All best wishes to you both.

[Jeff]

Tart and creamy is haute. You really have your finger on the pulse of home cooking

[Hugh]

You guys are the best. I'm so happy for you both!!!

[Clark]

Great cake! I envy your small private wedding and wish you all the best!

[Stevers]

Many Many Many Congrats to you both and best wishes for a very happy life together!

[donf]

I love your Blog and was excited to see your post about getting married. I wanted to make the cake, but don't see where the red food coloring is added.

Thanks
Don

[Bloghungry]

Thanks guys.. The red food coloring is added to the batter for a more red velvety effect. Typically red velvet cake takes almost a whole bottle of red food coloring. I just used what I had in my pantry.

[A.J.]

CONGRATS !!!
...to a genuinely handsome couple of genuine guys.

Here's wishing you both years of health and happy together... a hearty hug from Toronto!
All the very best, A.J.

[ayl]

Congrats! Also from Toronto and loving your blog.

[Jess]

Congrats! I wish you both nothing but the best.

PS - I'm looking forward to making the cake sans the white chocolate since I'm allergic. It looks amazing.

[JerzeeTomato]

Congrats. I was wondering when you would tie the knot. You both look great and I wish you all the best that life has to offer. So good to see so much love and happiness and CAKE!!!