Orange Liqueur Cupcakes Recipes

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.

HEFEWEIZEN ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the frosting: Whisk the sugar, flour and salt together in a medium saucepan, then stir in the hefeweizen. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes (this cooks out the raw flour taste). Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the frosting base into a shallow bowl. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled and thick, at least 2 hours.
• For the cake: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cups of two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cloves in a bowl until evenly combined. Combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth. Alternately, add the flour mixture and the hefeweizen, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (about scant 1/4 cup per muffin cup) then bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Remove the frosting base from the refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes to come to room temperature. Beat the butter for the frosting on medium speed until lightened and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mash the frosting base with the back of a spoon until it is spreadable, then add a third of the frosting base to the butter and beat until evenly incorporated. Add half of the remaining frosting base, beat until smooth, then add the remaining frosting base and the vanilla and beat until the frosting is fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.
• Frost the cupcakes with a spoon or transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch-wide fluted tip and pipe mounds onto the top of each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with an orange wedge before serving.

ORANGE CHIFFON CUPCAKES WITH MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard cupcake cups with paper liners. Set aside.
• In a medium grease free bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with same mixer (no need to wash beaters) until combined (about 1 minute). Fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon mixture, a little over half full, into each cupcake cup liner. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make Buttercream: Place water and sugars in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes. Sugar will be dissolved. Whip egg whites in a stand mixer (make sure bowl is grease free) to stiff peaks. Slowly add hot sugar syrup to egg whites and continue beating on high speed until bowl is cool to the touch about 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter a piece at a time and mix completely before adding the next piece of butter. Repeat until all butter has been used. Add confectioners' sugar. Mix to combine. Add orange liqueur and 2 teaspoons of zest. Mix to combine. Frosting will be smooth and creamy.
• Generously frost cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and top with coarsely grated orange zest.