I, like so many others, miss summer already. I am constantly thinking about when it will return and wondering what I will do until that happens. The cold chill in the air has made me crave something citrus. While tooling around yesterday after work I decided to whip up some Orange cupcakes with cream cheese icing and I am glad I did. I also made a batch of chocolate chip cookies which make for a great snack staple.
Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing.
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in pan. Mix together orange zest and sugar with electric mixer in a bowl until fragrant. Add butter and mix until well incorporated and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Beat in vanilla and orange juice. Add in baking powder and salt and mix well. Add in flour in small amounts and mix until incorporated. Add in milk and mix well. Spoon/scoop batter into each liner until they are half full. Bake for 18-20 mins and toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
1 tsp orange juice
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; add more until desired consistancy is reached.
combine cream cheese, butter, and shortening and mix until fluffy and well incorporated. Blend in orange juice. Add confectioners sugar a little at a time until desired consistancy is reached.
