Orange Vanilla Cupcakes Recipe 455

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!).

ORANGE-VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine cream, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, sugar, vanilla-bean seeds, and zest until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of the cream mixture, and beating until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• To finish, use a serrated knife to trim tops of cupcakes to make level. Using an offset spatula, spread buttercream over cupcakes in a smooth, even layer. Place a candied orange slice on each cupcake. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#5) with buttercream, and pipe dots around edge of each orange. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 1 day in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
• Wash the oranges, trim off tops and bottoms, and cut oranges into 1/8-inch-thick slices (12 total). Remove seeds.
• Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat; boil, stirring, until clear, about 5 minutes. Add enough orange slices to fit in one layer; simmer, turning slices occasionally, 20 to 40 minutes (depending on toughness of rinds), or until translucent but still orange in color. Using a slotted spoon, transfer slices to a heatproof container. Repeat with remaining slices. Pour the syrup into container with slices; let cool completely. Orange slices can be refrigerated up to 1 week in airtight containers.

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.