Cranberry-Vanilla Mini Bundts

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 cup butter at room temperature
• 5 ounces cranberries frozen
• 6 tablespoons cranberry juice cocktail divided
• 5 ounces cream cheese divided at room temperature
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 cup granulated sugar divided
• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1  vanilla bean pod 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• blender
• toothpicks
• spatula
• kugelhopf pan

Directions

1. Bring cranberries, 3 tbsp. juice, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer mixture, stirring often, until most of berries pop, about 4 minutes.
2. Let cool 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 3 tbsp. juice and pure in a food processor.
3. Let cool completely.
4. Preheat oven to 35
5. Coat mini Bundt pan with cooking spray.
6. Beat butter, 3 oz. cream cheese, and 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down sides; add eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium until blended, scraping down bowl as needed.
7. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to batter and beat on low speed just until blended.
8. Fill each Bundt cup with 2 tbsp. batter. Dot each with 1/2 tbsp. cranberry sauce, then dollop 1 tbsp. batter on top of sauce, leaving some of it exposed. With a toothpick, swirl sauce and batter together.
9. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in thickest part comes out clean, about 18 minutes.
10. Let cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes from pan, using a small spatula if necessary to loosen them. Trim cake edges if you like.
11. Beat remaining 2 oz. cream cheese in a bowl with a mixer until smooth.
12. Add powdered sugar. Slit vanilla bean pod lengthwise and gently scrape out seeds with a small spoon into cream cheese mixture.
13. Add 5 tsp. water and beat until smooth and creamy.
14. Drizzle over slightly warm cakes.