Creamsicle Cupcakes with Candied Orange Slices

This week, I wanted to bake some cupcakes for a coworker's wedding shower in the office. I decided on these orange creamsicle cupcakes that I saw on Homemade by Holman. Creamsicles bring back memories of summers as a kid, so I thought these would make for a nice afternoon treat! I garnished them with homemade candied orange slices which are much easier to make than you would think, completely edible and make for very pretty toppers!

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While these cupcakes weren't difficult to make, they were a bit more time consuming than some of the other recipes I've posted as there is lots of chopping, squeezing and zesting of oranges. (Just wanted to give you a fair warning!) But judging by my coworkers' reactions today, it was definitely worth the time I put in!


Creamsicle Cupcakes with Candied Orange Slices
adapted from Homemade by Holman
makes 13 cupcakes (odd I know...but that's how many it made for me!)

For the cupcakes...

• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (the recipe calls for citrus olive oil, but I couldn't find it, so I used regular olive oil and added a teaspoon of orange extract and they turned out fine!
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Combine butter, olive oil, orange extract and sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer and mix on medium high speed about three minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until well incorporated.
4. Reduce speed to stir and add in orange zest.
5. In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. In another smaller bowl, combine heavy cream and orange juice.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the standing mixer bowl, followed by 1/2 of the cream mixture and repeat, finishing with the flour. Mix until just incorporated after each addition. 
8. Scoop batter into prepared liners, filling about 2/3 of the way full.
9. Bake about 16 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans about five minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the candied oranges...

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 13 orange wedges, sliced thinly (I used tangelos but you can use any kind)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Heat on high until sugar dissolves completely. (You can stir with a whisk to help this go quicker.) I did this while the cupcakes were baking so I could multitask.
2. Add the orange wedges in, making sure none of them overlap. Reduce heat to medium and let them simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Flip them over with a spatula and let them simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Pour the oranges, including the syrup, into a tupperware and let them sit until you are ready to use them as decorations.

For the marshmallow filling...

• 8 oz marshmallow fluff
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Put the butter and fluff into the bowl of your standing mixer.  Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Once cupcakes have cooled, cut a small cone shape into the top of each cupcake (or use a cupcake corer which I did for the first time!) and spoon marshmallow cream into the holes. You will have a lot of fluff left over, so you should probably just eat it!

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For the orange buttercream...

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cups powdered sugar

1. In the bowl of your standing mixer, beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
2. Add orange juice, zest, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
3. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until incorporated to reach desired consistency. 
4. Whip on medium high speed about two minutes until smooth and creamy. 
5. Fill up a piping bag and frost as desired.
6. Top with candied oranges!

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