Frosty Orange Cupcakes

These cupcakes taste just like a popular creamy orange iced treat. Bake up a batch for a birthday party and watch them disappear.

MAKES: 18 cupcakes

PREP TIME: 40 minutes

COOKING TIME: about 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

CUPCAKES

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
• ½ cup whipping cream (35%)
• ½ cup carbonated orange soft drink

CREAMY ORANGE FROSTING

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 6 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup whipping cream (35%), chilled
• 2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• Orange gel food colouring

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two muffin pans with 18 large paper liners, then set aside. Pour water into any empty wells to prevent burning.
2. For the cupcakes, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer on low speed, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. With the mixer still running on low speed, add the eggs, a few tablespoonfuls at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Add the orange zest and beat just until combined.
5. Slowly pour in the cream, beating until well combined. Gradually beat in the orange soft drink, then beat for about 30 seconds.
6. Fill the paper liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
7. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. (The undecorated cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)
8. For the creamy orange frosting, in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
9. Beat in the icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, then beat for about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Add the cream and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
10. Spoon half of the frosting into a medium bowl. Beat the orange zest, lemon juice and orange extract into the medium bowl of frosting. Beat in enough orange food colouring to tint it bright orange.
11. Fit a large piping bag with a ½-inch plain tip. Spoon the white and orange frostings into two separate medium disposable piping bags. Snip off the end of each bag to make a ½-inch aperture.
12. Place the filled piping bags, side by side, in the large bag (the cut ends of the smaller bags should be about ½ inch above the opening of the tip). Twist the large bag to close it. Squeeze it until the two frostings emerge evenly.
13. Swirl the frosting on top of the cupcakes, using about 3 tablespoonfuls of frosting per cupcake. (The decorated cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving.)

BAKING DAY SECRETS

• To give the orange frosting the most vivid colour, use gel food colouring rather than the liquid kind. You need to use less gel to achieve a bright-coloured frosting. If you use liquid food colouring, add an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of sifted icing sugar to the frosting so its consistency is similar to that of the white frosting.