Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
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Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes are a soft and tender, fresh orange-flavored cupcakes finished with a sweet vanilla buttercream frosting. These are bright, sweet, and delicious!
Oranges and cream is such a blissfully fresh and excitingly delicious flavor combination. It’s one of my favorite combinations. Let me rephrase that, basically, any fresh fruit with cream is my favorite combination. Which may explain my weakness for orange creamsicle flavored anything.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
I saw the orange cupcakes at Martha Stewart and decided it would be perfect for these.
I made a few small changes to my orange cupcake recipe such as removing the vanilla beans (simply because I wanted the orange flavor to shine through), then I increased the orange flavor by adding orange extract and increasing the orange zest. When you love orange, you go hard!
I also replaced the frosting with my own Vanilla Buttercream because it’s my favorite buttercream recipe, it even reminds me of ice cream so I figured it would make an excellent fit. Trust me—you’re going to love this orange buttercream frosting. Plus, you gotta have the pretty swirls you get when you pipe frosting atop the cupcakes. I didn’t add food coloring, but if you want a more vibrant orange frosting just add some coloring.
Too sweet for you? Give this a try with cream cheese frosting. Not sweet enough? Whip a little more powdered sugar and a drizzle of milk into your stand mixer with the frosting before you move it to the piping bag.
I liked the contrasting color of green or teal for the cupcake liners, but a fun and fruity color or citrus pattern would be great for a party. I also like to garnish with a small wedge of actual orange, but orange jellies are cute too. I may try this recipe with an orange curd filling.
These cupcakes are simply fantastic. I love how the cupcake recipe contains heavy cream. It’s not too often you come across a cupcake recipe that contains cream in the batter (sour cream, sometimes!). It makes all the difference, and the result is a show-stopper.
It gives these cupcakes such a delightful texture, with a dense and perfectly moist crumb.
This is a charming cupcake that may just become one of your favorites. Enjoy!
Orange-Lover Recipes to Try
There’s something about orange—it just pairs so well with so many different flavors! When it’s peak citrus season I’m always searching for ways to enjoy the fresh fruit. If you’re an orange lover, I have lots of great recipes for you to try. Let me know which ones you love!
- Orange Chiffon Cake with Meringue
- Orange Creamsicle Truffles
- Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Orange Creamsicle Buddies
- Orange Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies
- Orange Creamsicle Popcorn
Follow Cooking Classy
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter , softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (from about 1 1/2 oranges)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (if you want a lighter texture use half and half)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp orange extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, recipe HERE
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, blend together butter, granulated sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes.
- Mix in eggs one at time, blending until combine after each addition. Measure out cream into a liquid measuring cup, stir in orange juice, orange extract and vanilla extract.
- With hand mixer set on low speed and working in 3 separate batches, blend in flour mixture alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing just until combine after each addition.
- Divide batter among 14 paper lined muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven 23 - 25, rotating muffin tins once halfway through baking, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
- Cool completely then frost with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and garnish with an small orange slice if desired (just before serving). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.