7 Dozen Cupcakes: Part 3

The third of the three types of cupcakes were Orange Cupcakes, that were originally called for a Vanilla Cream icing. (I'll include the original icing recipe but after trying it on the test batch, we decided it was just too sweet/unbalanced and replaced it with a standard butter cream icing instead.) I've always been a sucker for orange cakes and cupcakes, but in the face of the deep chocolate brownie and cheesecake cupcakes, these were the last of the three kinds to go at school!

Cupcakes

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups cake and pastry flour, sifted BEFORE measured

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest

Icing

1/2 cup light cream cheese (about half a package)

2 tbsp butter, softened

2 tsp honey

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

2 cups icing sugar, sifted BEFORE measured

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper or silicon liners. Place eggs in a small bowl and cover with hot tap water, setting aside.

3. Using a stand mixer (or your closest equivalent), beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

4. In a large bowl mix sifted flour (MUST be cake/pastry) with baking power and salt, then mix thoroughly - I used a whisk. Then sift or run through a sieve again.

5. Combine milk with orange juice - preferably in the same measuring cup.

6. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then the milk mixture as well. Stir in zest. Divide evenly between the cups.

7. Bake in oven for 18-20 min or until a cake tester (that's a tooth pick to me) comes out clean. For larger cupcakes I sometimes needed to add 2-3 min, but it's usually about right. Cool on a rack.

***Remember, I switched to a simple butter cream frosting, but here are the instructions for the recipe icing:

8. Beat cream cheese with butter, honey, vanilla, and salt.

9. Gradually add icing sugar until thick enough for spreading.

10. Spread on cooled cupcakes, garnish as desired!