Fresh Orange Cupcakes With Orange Icing Food

ORANGE CUPCAKES WITH THE CREAMIEST ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Place the flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk to mix well.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugar just to combine.
• Add the milk, eggs, orange juice, zest and vanilla and whisk really well to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir through gently with a spatula until just combined.
• Fill the cupcake cases to about ⅔ full. Bake for around 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with just a couple of crumbs on it. Transfer to a cooling rack. You can go straight on with steps 1-3 of the buttercream.
• In a small saucepan, whisk the flour with a little milk to a paste. Add the remaining milk, 1/2 cup of sugar and orange peel.
• Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until it gets very thick (like a thick custard or pudding).
• Press this mixture through a strainer into a bowl. Discard the orange peel and cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface and let it cool to room temperature before continuing (notes).
• Once the pudding mixture is cool, beat together the butter and ½ cup of sugar until lightened and creamy. About 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl a few times through the process.
• Add 1 spoonful of the pudding mixture at a time, mixing on low between each. Make sure each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next.
• Once all the pudding mixture is added, beat for a further 5-7 minutes on medium until it looks whipped and creamy. You should not be able to feel any sugar granules. (If it looks like it separates, don't worry, just keep on beating. It will all come together into a beautiful, almost whipped cream looking frosting).
• Finally add the vanilla and orange zest and give it one final quick mix just to mix it through.

ORANGE CREAM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low; slowly beat in the melted butter, then add the orange zest and vanilla.
• Beat in the flour mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined (do not overmix).
• Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Bring the orange juice to a boil in a saucepan; reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced to1 1/2 tablespoons, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
• Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low; sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, the cooled orange syrup, orange zest and food coloring and beat on medium speed until combined. Refrigerate until spreadable, about 15 minutes. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes; top with candied orange zest.

FILLED AND FROSTED ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 20 standard-sized muffin cups with muffin liners and spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Mix butter for cupcakes in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat for 2 more minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until incorporated. Mix in orange zest.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk, beating batter briefly after each addition. Mix in orange juice. Pour batter into the prepared muffin cups until they are about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put a mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Remove bowl from the freezer and add heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla for filling. Whip with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (make sure they don't fall over), 3 to 5 minutes. Don't overmix or your whipped cream will start separating and turning into butter. Put filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Cream softened butter for frosting with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in powdered sugar. Beat for 2 minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and salt.
• Use a serrated knife to make a 3/4-inch hole in the center of each cooled cupcake. Fill the holes with filling and frost the tops with frosting. Garnish each cupcake with an orange peel.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the sugar, flour, cocoa, pinch of salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the dark chocolate and orange zest. Put 12 cupcake cases in a 12-hole tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in 2 tbsp hot water to loosen and fold in the orange zest. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of orange food colouring to one bowl and stir until the icing turns bright orange. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk, then beat until combined.
• Fill one side of a piping bag (use one with a large round nozzle) with the orange icing, then fill the other side with the chocolate buttercream. Pipe on top of each cupcake. Decorate with some extra orange zest and a grating of dark chocolate.

DREAMY ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Beat together the orange cake mix, creamy salad dressing, whipped topping mix, 3/4 cup orange juice, eggs, and 2 tablespoons orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is moist, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then increase speed to medium and continue beating until well blended, about 2 minutes more. Fill the prepared cupcake cups about 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• To make cream topping: Beat the marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1/2 cup shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Top each cooled cupcake with a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cream topping, using a knife to spread the the topping flat. Allow about 1/2 inch of the orange cupcake to show below the white layer.
• To make orange butter cream: Beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in 1/4 cup orange juice, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and food coloring until well combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe a decorative layer of orange butter cream, ending in a peak, over the cream topping on the cupcakes.