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Orange Cream Cupcakes

Moist orange cupcakes filled with silky and homemade orange curd, topped with tangy cream cheese frosting!
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Servings 8 jumbo cupcakes (or 16 regular)

Ingredients
  

Homemade Orange Curd

  • 2 large eggs + 2 yolks
  • 2/3 cup (1,5 dl) granulated sugar
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup (1 dl) fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) butter

Orange Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup (110 g) butter room temperatured
  • 2/3 cup (1,5 dl) granulated sugar
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (1 dl) vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (0,5 dl) fresh orange juice
  • 1 1/2 cup (3,5 dl) flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 dl) sour cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces (200 g) philadelphia cream cheese, room temperatured
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) butter, room temperatured
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Homemade Orange Curd

  • In a small saucepan, rub together the sugar with the orange zest.
  • Whisk together the zesty sugar with the eggs and the egg yolks.
  • Once combined and smooth, add the fresh orange juice and turn the heat on medium low while stirring continuously.
  • The orange curd will thicken in about 15 minutes. At this point, take off the heat and add the butter a little at the time while whisking.
  • Pour the orange curd to a heatproof container and cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface of the curd. Allow to cool completely and chill in the fridge until assembling the cupcakes.
  • Allow to cool completely and chill in the fridge until assembling the cupcakes.

Orange Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃) and line a cupcake form with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, rub the sugar with the orange zest until fragrant.
  • Add the room temperatured butter and beat with an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  • Mix in the eggs, one at the time until combined.
  • Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and mix in the oil, fresh orange juice, and vanilla on low speed.
  • Sift in haft of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix again.
  • Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
  • Pour the orange cupcake batter into the prepared cupcake forms about halfway full. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (some crumbs are fine). For jumbo cupcakes, bake 15-20 minutes.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine the room temperatured butter and cream cheese with the powedered sugar, vanilla and orange juice. Mix until smooth.
  • Pour the frosting into a piping bag with a star tip and set aside.

Assembling the Orange Cupcakes

  • Use a knife or a teaspoon to dig out a small center in each cupcake.
  • Take out the orange curd from the fridge and whisk it until smooth. Spoon or pipe in the orange curd into the center of each cupcake.
  • Cover the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting in any style you desire. Either pipe swirls or simply smother them with a knife.
  • Finish off with some extra orange zest or even candied orange slices. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

If you are baking a particularily hot day, you may want to store the frosting in the fridge until you are ready to pipe. If the frosting gets to hard, just allow it to sit in room temperature. I find it´s easier to add the frosting into the piping bag just before frosting the cupcakes in case the frosting is too cold (hard) or warm (runny).