Valencia Orange Cupcakes Recipe
Valencia Orange Cupcakes with Orange Zest
I’ve made chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting before, but never a vanilla-based cupcake infused with freshly-squeezed orange juice. The batch turned out well and I even substituted olive oil for sunflower or safflower oil to see if there was a taste difference. Yes, it was a bit stronger and it wasn’t as light and fluffy as it would’ve been if the usual vegetable oil had been used. I avoided using flavor oil but I added gel-based orange colorant for the cupcakes and frosting.
Cupcake ingredients:
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange flavor oil [optional]
orange colorant [optional]
Oven temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 180 degrees Celsius
Makes 9 cupcakes.
Baking time: approximately 20 minutes
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until dissolved.
Add the oil and salt and mix for about a minute.
Add orange juice, flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
Add vanilla extract, flavoring and coloring.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes on a wire rack for a few minutes, and then remove cupcakes from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Orange Buttercream Frosting ingredients:
11/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
1 Tablespoon orange zest for topping
Orange flavor [optional]
Orange colorant [optional]
Directions: Beat softened butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, orange juice, cream, flavor, and colorant. Mix on high speed until well combined and smooth. Spoon into a piping bag with your favorite tip and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
This recipe is from the new book The Missing Sea Captain (A Yolanda’s Yummery Cozy Mystery, Book 2). Click the blue link to read more, including a new book review!