If you love oranges and true citrus flavors in baked goods, then you have to try out this recipe for Orange Cupcakes.
These delicious orange cupcakes are made from a buttery cupcake flavored with almond essence and the flesh and peel from boiled oranges that have been added to the cupcake batter. The buttercream has the same orange puree added to it, and this makes all the difference to these cupcakes that celebrate the real taste of oranges.
If you love citrus-flavored bakes then you have to try out this recipe for Mini Lemon Meringues, this Chocolate Orange Cake, or this recipe for Lemon Cheesecake.
Jump to:
Ingredients
To make this orange cupcake recipe, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated white sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Self-raising flour
- Almond flour
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Almond essence
- Oranges
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
Unsalted butter – butter is used in the cupcake batter as well as the frosting, make sure you are using unsalted room temperature butter for the best results.
Extra-large eggs – out of their shell, the eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Vanilla extract – choose a good quality vanilla extract for this recipe, if you don’t have vanilla essence, it will also work. You can also choose to use vanilla bean paste instead.
Almond essence – this is optional but recommended as it gives the cupcakes a great fragrance and taste.
Oranges – choose whole oranges for this recipe. These are boiled until soft and then blended. The orange puree is used in the batter and the frosting for a true orange flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple steps below to make these delicious orange cupcakes. You will start by boiling the oranges, this can be done the day before, then you will make the cupcake batter and finally the fresh orange buttercream.
Instructions for oranges
STEP 1: Boil orange. Place a medium-sized pot filled with water over medium-high heat and allow the water to boil. Once boiling add the orange and let the orange boil for about 2 hours, or until soft. Keep topping up the water level so that the orange is covered. Once softened remove the orange from the water and allow it to cool.
STEP 2: Slice orange. Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and tail of the orange and then slice it in half and remove any seeds.
STEP 3: Blend. Add the cooled orange pieces to a food processor and blend until a puree forms. Add the puree to a bowl and set aside until needed.
Instructions for cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 24 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans.
STEP 2: Cream butter and sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
STEP 3: Add eggs, almond, and vanilla essence. Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition. Add the vanilla and almond essence, then beat again.
STEP 4: Sift dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, almond flour, and salt.
STEP 5: Add dry and wet ingredients. With the mixer running at a low speed, add the milk, and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two, starting with the flour and ending with the milk. Once added scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, ensuring everything is well combined.
STEP 6: Add oranges. Add the blended orange puree to the cupcake batter and mix through with a rubber spatula.
STEP 8: Bake. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Instructions for orange frosting
STEP 1: Beat icing sugar and butter. Add the icing sugar and softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add cream. Combine the cream, vanilla, and almond essence together in a small jug. With the motor of the mixer running at medium speed add the cream mixture to the frosting one tablespoon at a time. Once added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
STEP 3: Add orange puree. Add the orange puree to the frosting and beat again until combined. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
STEP 4: Decorate. Pipe a swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes and decorate the top of each cupcake with dried orange slices or twirls of orange rind.
Hint: Depending on the heat, you may not need to add all of the cream to the buttercream, in summer months I use less liquid as the butter warms quicker when beaten. If the frosting looks like it has split, add more icing sugar. Start with 30g extra and take it from there.
Variations
These orange cupcakes are so delicious and pair well with lots of different frostings. If you’d like to try these cupcakes without the orange buttercream, then have a look at this recipe for Nutella Buttercream or this recipe for Vanilla Bean Buttercream, both would be delicious with these cupcakes.
Equipment
For these buttery moist cupcakes, you will need x2 12-hole cupcake tins, 24x paper liners, a cooling rack, a disposable piping bag, a piping nozzle, and an electric mixer.
I always use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to make the buttercream as they help ensure a fluffy frosting. I also always use an accurate kitchen scale when baking.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly so try to frost them the same day they are baked. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
To freeze these delicious orange and almond cupcakes, remove any fruit decorations from the cupcakes and then place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Top tips
Follow my top baking tips below to ensure that your cupcakes come out perfectly.
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake cases as this can lead to mishappen cupcakes.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before starting this recipe.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
FAQ
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Check your oven's temperature and ensure you haven’t overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful batter and frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt it.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking, this way you can ensure you’ve measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
These orange cupcakes are such a beautiful soft color and the combination of the orange and almond flavors is something special!
If you make these fluffy orange cupcakes and love them, please leave a comment and star review below – I love hearing from all of you!
Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly newsletter and follow along @with_love_kitty to make sure you never miss a recipe!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Orange Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pans
Ingredients
Orange Purée
- 1 large orange rinsed
- 2 litres water
Orange Cupcakes
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 250 g sugar white granulated
- 3 eggs extra-large
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 210 g self-raising flour
- 70 g almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 ml milk whole
- ½ cup orange purée from above
Orange Buttercream
- 500 g powdered sugar
- 160 g unsalted butter
- 30 ml heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
- ⅓ cup orange purée from above
- dried oranges slices for decorating
Instructions
Orange Purée
- Place a medium-sized pot filled with water over medium-high heat and allow the water to boil. Once boiling add the orange and let the orange boil for about 2 hours, or until soft. Keep topping up the water level so that the orange is covered. Once softened remove the orange from the water and allow it to cool.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the top and tail of the orange and then slice it in half and remove any seeds.
- Add the cooled orange pieces to a food processor and blend until a puree forms. Add the puree to a bowl and set aside until needed.
Orange Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 24 cupcake liners into two 12-hole cupcake pans.
- Add the butter and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture one at a time, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition. Add the vanilla and almond essence, then beat again.
- In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, almond flour, and salt.
- With the mixer running at a low speed, add the milk, and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two, starting with the flour and ending with the milk. Once added scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again, ensuring everything is well combined.
- Add the blended orange puree to the cupcake batter and mix through with a rubber spatula.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Orange Buttercream
- Add the icing sugar and softened butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Combine the cream, vanilla, and almond essence together in a small jug. With the motor of the mixer running at medium speed add the cream mixture to the frosting one tablespoon at a time. Once added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often.
- Add the orange puree to the frosting and beat again until combined. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle.
- Pipe a swirl of frosting onto each cupcake and decorate the top of each cupcake with dried orange slices or twirls of orange rind.
Jackie says
Do you boil the orange with the peel on? And blend it with the peel on? Just the top and bottom cut off?
withlovekitty2020 says
Hi Jackie, thanks so much for your comment! Yes, I boil the oranges whole, then remove the top, bottom, and any seeds and then blend the oranges with the peel on. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂