Orangesicle Cupcakes

I’ve been really excited to try this recipe from the moment I found it. It’s the perfect treat to celebrate my Dad’s birthday, orangesicles are his favorite!

Recipe adapted from I Heart Cuppycakes.

Filling:
• One Box Vanilla/French Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Gallon Sandwich Bag

I begin with this part of the recipe because I like to allow the pudding to set for as long as possible. Add the ingredients into a large bowl and get to work with your hand mixer, or a simple whisk. The pudding will already add body to the recipe; you are just whipping it further to add as much air as possible. I spent two full minutes with the hand mixer on high. After you are satisfied with the mixture, fill the sandwich bag, and allow it to set in the refrigerator. Also, you may notice that I used heavy whipping cream in place of regular milk, and slightly less than is indicated, this is all for my own desired consistency of the cupcake filling, you can alter this to fit your tastes.

Frosting:
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, Softened
• 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest*
• Orange Food Coloring (optional)

*I enjoy the bits of actual orange in the frosting, but some may not, you can easily replace this with 1-2 Teaspoons of Orange Extract.

I used my hand mixer for this one too! I love that thing, mine was inexpensive and is very loud, but works wonders. Start by beating the softened butter until creamy. Add half of your powdered sugar, the vanilla extract, and orange juice. Mix until well incorporated, at a medium speed. Next, add the remaining powdered sugar, and start up the mixer again. After you’ve cleaned the sides with a spatula and mixed the liquid ingredients and sugar together, add the orange zest, and the food coloring. Kick it up to a higher speed in order to add more air to the frosting, for just one minute. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Cake:
• 2 Cups All Purpose flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoon orange zest (Zest the whole Orange to use later)
• 1/2 Cup heavy cream
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• Orange Food Coloring (optional)

Line your cupcake tin, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and use a fork to stir it around. Next, combine the wet ingredients (except for the food coloring) in another bowl, using the same fork to pre-mix. On a low speed, or with a whisk, begin adding the wet ingredients to the dry, a little at a time. Mix on a low speed until well incorporated, and clean the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula in between. Add the food coloring during this stage, to reach your desire orange hue.

The amount that you fill the cupcake liners depends on if you want a level cupcake or not. In order to have a level cupcake, preferable for fancy decorating, fill the liner 1/2-2/3 of the way. I filled the liners ¾ of the way, so after baking, they have a muffin-like top. These should take about 20-25 minutes to bake, I set my timer (safely) for 17 minutes. Safe is better than burned. Test by poking a toothpick down the center, if you pull it out clean, they are done. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely. You can cut down on your cooling time if you pop out the cupcakes carefully onto an elevated baking rack- for air to pass both on the top and the bottom.

Assembly:
Using a pointed steak knife, at an angle, and beginning a half inch away from the edge of your cupcake, slice a conical shape into the cupcake. Don’t worry if its not perfect, your frosting will cover it completely! Do this for each cupcake, and allow to further cool, if still warm inside. Next, take out the pudding mix and squeeze it down to one corner, slightly twisting the opposite, for slight pressure. Snip off a half-inch hole in the filled corner, and begin filling each cone inside the cupcake, with the creamy filling. Fill each until just under the top level of the cupcake.

Lastly, get out your frosting and frost the cupcakes. I like the handmade rustic look, especially for my Dad’s birthday, so I just used a butter knife to spread the frosting onto the cupcakes. Store these in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. I love the bits of orange zest in the frosting taking center stage. I fancied the cupcakes with diamond tags in the Metropolitan style and little hand tied bows, in a tangerine color, of course. The simple frosting sets off the personalized birthday tags quite well.

More homemade gift ideas from Zoe…

Shop Our Food/Craft Collection:

• Food/craft labels
• Food/craft tags
• Canning Labels

Shop Our Birthday Collection

• Birthday Coasters
• Birthday Tags
• Birthday Labels
• Birthday CD/DVD Labels
• Entire Birthday Collection