orange you glad i made these cupcakes?

initially i was going to make these as creamsicle cupcakes, but since some of my health problems were acting up i would be delivering these cupcakes on monday rather than sunday (which is when i was baking) i figured buttercream icing would be better than fresh whipped cream icing, so i think they might be just orange cupcakes…. either way, they were delicious! the birthday girl is my friend liz, who was also celebrating having run her first half marathon– which to me is an unimaginable feat! even in my absolute best shape where i fit in a size two and could bench press more than i weighed i could never manage to run more than two miles; i am just not a runner, so to run anything with the word marathon in it is just plain amazing to me.  in the kitchen at work today i was having a conversation with another girl about this and i was saying how i don’t have something i can do that is amazing. she said that i sure do, and it is baking. well thank goodness someone thinks so, otherwise i am just a girl who rambles on and takes decent pictures!

in any case, what i was going for here was light, refreshing, and still feels like a treat. i imagine that if i were to run a whole bunch of miles that is what i would want in a dessert, then again, what do i know about after-running food? regardless, i succeeded in making these all three things according to me as well as the other folks that ate them- hooray!! i took the standard dorie greenspan “perfect party cake” and substituted orange zest and extract for the lemon, then drizzled it with the glaze from an orange poppy bread i received from a friend, and topped it off with some magnolia bakery buttercream. the best part about them? since they were orange, several of my coworkers were able to rid themselves of the guilt they would normally experience eating cupcakes for breakfast!

Recipe:

Cupcakes:

Makes about 20 cupcakes
Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
3. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter, and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and will aerated.
4. Fill each cupcake 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch- a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool.

Glaze:

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. almond extract

1/2 t. oil

heat all ingredients in pan until sugar melts. Prick bread with fork and pour glaze over bread while warm

Icing:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 to 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.