Orange Zest Cupcakes Recipes

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.

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.

ORANGE CURD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Line two standard muffin tins with 18 paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla seeds and orange zest. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until combined after each addition.
• Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Orange Curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, both zests, and egg yolks; whisk in citrus juices and salt. Add butter; place pan over medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around edge of pan, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
• Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against surface of curd; refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
• Frosting: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low speed, add 7 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is reached.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip with about 2 cups curd. Insert tip into center of each cupcake, squeezing gently to just fill. Reserve any remaining curd for another use.
• Fill another pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes. Decorate with dried orange slices, if desired.

MAGNOLIA BAKERY ORANGE VANILLA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• FOR CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with papers.
• In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and zest gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the orange juice and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
• Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
• TO MAKE THE FROSTING: In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, on the medium-high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for three minutes, until smooth and creamy.
• Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously, and mix until fluffy, for three minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well.
• Add the cooled milk mixture and beat for five minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Add a few drops of red food coloring to give a pink tint to the frosting, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer-set a timer!).
• Use immediately to frost the cupcakes. If you like, garnish with coconut (or other candies of your choice!).

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.