Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
Yields 24

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups flour, cake
1 3/4 Cup sugar, white
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt, table
3 Large egg, whole beaten
1 Cup oil, vegetable
8 Ounce(wt)s sour cream
1 Cup juice, orange
1 Tbls zest, orange
1 1/2 tsp extract, vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line two (12-count) muffin tins with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry cupcake ingredients: flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using a hand mixer, work in the wet ingredients: eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until slightly golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

Orange Creamsicle Frosting:
Ingredients:
8 Ounce(wt)s softened cheese, cream
1/2 Cup Crisco, butter-flavored sticks
1 tsp extract, vanilla
1 tsp extract, orange
5 Cups sifted sugar, powdered
2 tsp orange jello powder
1 Teaspoon zest, orange
1 to taste orange food coloring, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl beat Crisco, cream cheese, gelatin, orange peel and extracts until light and fluffy. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Mix in orange food coloring, if using. 

Read More

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
From America's Test Kitchen
Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients:
Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 large lemon, zested

Muffins:
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups sugar, plus 1 tsp
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
2 large eggs
4 Tbls unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk(see note)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

FOR THE MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)

Use ice cream scoop to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Read More