Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

I wish all lotions, soaps, etc came in bottles that did not use pumps or wands. Why? Because they NEVER reach all the way to the bottom, forcing you to either throw away several uses of perfectly good product, or feel like a penny-pincher for trying to scrape out every last bit. I fall into the latter category and I am not ashamed. I bought the stuff and you better believe I am going to use every last drop that I can get. People say that when I am no longer living on a grad student stipend, my time and effort won’t be worth it anymore but I disagree. It’s less about the money and more about the fact that I don’t like to waste things. This is true of food items as well, as I am constantly finding ways to use up leftover ingredients from a recipe that did not use it all. I call it resourceful.

Anyway, that rant has little to do with these cupcakes although the heavy cream I used for the frosting was leftover from all my ice cream adventures last week. I made these cupcakes for Beth’s non-baby shower themed lunch (she’s not into the whole baby shower/gift opening thing even though she’s about to pop). When I asked what flavor cupcakes she was craving she said orange or something tropical, but nothing fancy. Well you know I can’t make a cupcake and not make it a least a little special, so I made orange creamsicle cupcakes with a swirl of two different frostings on top: orange and vanilla buttercreams. And in case the flavor wasn’t obvious enough I topped them off with orange gummies.

One year ago: Mango Frozen Greek Yogurt

ORANGE CREAMSICLE CUPCAKES

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract

Orange gel food coloring (optional)

1/2 orange, zested and juiced

2/3 cup milk

ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp orange extract

2 Tbsp orange juice (I used the other half orange)

Orange gel food coloring

VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Pinch salt

1 Tbsp heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Add egg and beat until just combined. Mix in the extracts, orange zest and juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, making three additions of the flour mixture and two of the milk, beating until smooth. Blend in food coloring, if using.
4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Place pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool completely on rack while preparing the frostings.
5. For the orange buttercream: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, both extracts and orange juice and mix on low speed to combine, then increase to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add orange food coloring to frosting until it reaches desired color.
6. For the vanilla buttercream: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip butter on until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed to combine, then increase to medium speed and beat until very light and fluffy.
7. Prepare a large piping bag with your favorite large tip. Place in a tall glass and fold bag over the glass. Using a long teaspoon fill the piping bag with the frosting, trying to keep the colors on separate sides of the bag*. Pipe onto cupcakes in a swirl pattern. Top with oranges gummy candies if desired.

*Alternately, line up each frosting next to each other on a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll up and twist like a sausage, insert into piping bag and pull excess plastic wrap through the end of the piping tip. Snip off excess plastic wrap.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from 150 Best Cupcake Recipes. Orange buttercream adapted slightly from I Wanna Be A Foodie. Vanilla buttercream adapted slightly from Cooking Classy.