California Cupcake

So I'm sitting here eating this AMAZING cupcake.. and I thought... "I should really blog about this..." These are really that good.

Some of you might not know this, but I like to experiment with recipe's. Last week was Kevin's birthday and I wanted to take cupcakes to h

is work. I thought it would be fun to make an orange cupcake (him working at Orange Soda and all). I couldn't find a recipe that 1. I liked or 2. I had everything for. Well, I made these Vanilla cupcakes a while ago and still had the recipe, so I thought I would try experimenting. Which usually ends up not good.. but this time I think it turned out...

Try these out, you will love them...

I'm calling them California Cupcakes, because they remind me of were I grew up, Redlands, CA, they grow lots of oranges there.

California Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 C Butter (unsalted), room temp.

2 C Sugar

5 Eggs, room temp.

1/2 t Pure vanilla extract

1 T Pure Orange Extract

3 C Flour (not self rising)

1 T Baking powder

3/4 t Salt

1 C Whole milk

zest of 1 medium orange

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Cream butter and sugar (it’s very important butter is room temperature to allow for proper creaming. Add Eggs. Mix completely.
2. When mixed completely add vanilla and orange extract.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture alternately, scrapping bowl after each addition, until completely mixed. Mix well for one minute.
5. Add orange zest.
6. If you want your cupcakes to be orange, you may add orange food coloring at this time. Add to desired color.
7. Fill, about 2/3 full, paper lined muffin tins. *Do not over fill.
8. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
9. Transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to avoid overcooking on the bottom. Allow cupcakes to cool completely then frost with orange cream cheese frosting (recipe below).

*These cupcakes are more of a flat cake, therefore do not rise very well. If over filled, the batter will just overflow on to muffin tin. Even if filled right, this may occur, to avoid sticking, grease the top of the muffin tin, before filling cups.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1 C Butter (unsalted), room temp.

2 8 oz packages Cream cheese, room temp.

2½ C Powdered sugar

2 t Orange extract

Directions

1. Mix butter and cream cheese completely, scrapping bowl every few minutes.

(to allow for proper frosting consistency, butter and cream cheese must be room temperature)

2. Add powder sugar slowly.

3. Add orange extract. Mix on high for one minute.

Use a generous amount of frosting on each cupcake.

Garnish cupcakes with mandrin oranges, orange candies, orange blossoms, small orange slices, etc.