Orange cupcakes

Just like the author of this recipe, I made my orange cupcakes on a VERY snowy day...to brighten it up a little. The recipe may seem a bit plain - nothing extraordinary in a dozen of cupcakes - but they occured to be absolutely wonderful. The texture is so soft and the smell so captivating... made me immediately think of summer :) Try them yourself!

(Recipy slightly changed).

Serves: makes 12. Preparation: 21 min. Baking: 18 min.

Equipment:

- 2 bowls,

- zest grater,

- electric/hand mixer,

- muffin tin,

- muffin cases (or a bit of butter to grease the tin)

Ingredients:

* cupcakes:

- 113g (1/2 cup) soft unsalted butter,

- 130g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar,

- 3 eggs,

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract,

- 2-3 tbsp orange juice,

- zest of 1 orange,

- 195g (1 1/2 cup) flour,

- 1/2 tsp baking powder,

- 1/4 tsp salt,

- 60 ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk (or simply milk)

* icing (taken from here)

- 250g cream cheese,

- 5 tbsp powdered sugar,

- food colouring (optional)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF. 

In a bowl, mix together the sugar and orange zest for about 2 min., until moist and fragnant.

Add te butter and mix until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in the vanilla extract and orange juice.

In the other bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, add alternately the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat only until incorporated.

Fill in the muffin cases.

Bake for about 18 min, until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.

In the meantime, prepare the icing:

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add just a tiny bit of food colouring, if you want. 

That's it ;)

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

Decorate them with the icing, using either an icing bag or simply a knife ;) (to spread the icing on the cupcakes, of course).

Now all you have to do is sit comfortably in your sofa, close your eyes, think of beautiful summer days and enjoy your wonderful orange cupcakes.