Orange Cupcakes

 

So.. a girlfriend asked me for a good banana-cupcake recipe with cream cheese frosting… Told her one.. and of course… I wanted to bake something too… So… let’s see what we have in our fridge… No bananas… so no banana-cupcakes for me… But… a lot of oranges! Perfect!! Never tried them before… but I thought they will be very fruity and fluffy! 🙂 So.. do it girls! (Do you know the song in pic #3?*g*)

 

The Ingredients
Cupcakes (for 15 pieces)
– 165g all-purpose flour
– 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
– a dash salt
– 100g butter – room temperature
– 225g granulated sugar
– 2 large eggs
– extract of one purge orange
– zest of one grated orange
– 175ml milk

Orange Frosting
– 130g cold cream cheese, cut into chunks
– 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
– zest of a grated orange (as much as you like… I took it from one orange)
– pure orange extract (1 orange too)
– 110g powdered sugar

 

The Method
Orange Cupcakes
1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350F). Line 15 muffin cups in a muffin baking tin.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange extract and zest. On low speed, beat in the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions and beating just until incorporated.
4. Filling each muffin cup about two-thirds full. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
5. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes – then carefull transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Orange Frosting
1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy. Beat in the orange zest and extract. On low speed beat in the powdered sugar in two additions, beating until smooth.
2. Spread the frosting generously on the cupcakes. Or transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake.
3. Decorate them with some orange slices and orange peel. Enjoy.. *yummi*