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–+ servings

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

Orange creamsicle cupcakes with orange and vanilla frosting
4.29 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Anytime, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 24
Calories 223 kcal

Equipment

  • 24 standard-sized cupcake liners
  • muffin tins
  • a mixer
  • 1 large piping bag
  • 1 large star tip

Ingredients
  

Cupcakes
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
  • ¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur
  • ½ teaspoon food-grade orange citrus oil (or 1 tablespoon grated orange zest)
  • orange gel coloring (optional)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • (1) 15 to 16-ounce box white cake mix (Duncan Hines Classic White used)
Orange Buttercream
  • 2 sticks salted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon food-grade orange essential oil (or 1 tablespoon grated orange zest)
  • ¼ cup whipping cream
  • 2 pinches salt
  • orange gel coloring (optional)
  • 5 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
  • coordinating sprinkles (optional)

Instructions
 

Cupcakes
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in muffin pans.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, orange liqueur, orange oil, eggs, and vegetable oil until smooth. Add a few drops of orange food coloring to make the batter a pale peach color. Then sift in the cake mix and stir until smooth but not overmixed. Do not skip sifting the cake mix; otherwise, the batter will be lumpy.
  • Using a cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly between the liners, or fill them 1/2 to 2/3 full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with crumbs. Do not overbake. After 5 minutes, move the cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool before frosting.
Orange Buttercream Frosting
  • Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, vanilla, orange oil, and salt until creamy.
  • Add the whipping cream to the butter and beat until mixed. Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating between each addition. If the frosting is too stiff, add more cream. Add a little orange gel coloring and beat. The color should be a pale peach color.
  • Use a piping bag and a large star tip to pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. Make a circle of frosting around the outside of the cupcake top, then continue circling, moving in closer to the middle with each circle. This will make the frosting taller in the middle of the cupcake. Alternative: Use less frosting on each cupcake, start piping in the middle, then make circles moving to the outside with each circle. This method will make a "rose" shape on each cupcake.
  • Add sprinkles to each cupcake for decoration.

Notes

Substitution

One half a teaspoon of orange essential oil is equivalent to one tablespoon of orange zest.

Sources

Orange Citrus Oil
Large Star Piping Tip 1M
Large Piping Bags

Yield

  24 cupcakes

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 33mgSugar: 25gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.03mg
Keyword Cupcakes, How to Make Orange Cupcakes, Orange, Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes, Orange Cupcakes, Recipe for Orange Cupcakes
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