Orange Cupcakes
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Citrus lovers have got to try these orange cupcakes with orange buttercream! Made with fresh orange juice and orange zest, these orange cupcakes are bursting with flavor. These cupcakes are perfect for the summer, but I also love making them for the holiday season.
Now, I love chocolate orange – hello, chocolate orange cupcakes and chocolate orange brownies! But I thought it would be fun to have an orange cupcake packed with fresh and zesty orange flavor.
And since I’m dairy-free, I’ve made sure that you can easily make these orange cupcakes dairy-free, and they still taste like the real deal!
Why You’ll Love These Orange Cupcakes
- I’m using simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- You’re getting tons of natural orange flavor from orange zest and juice.
- These orange cupcakes are super soft and fluffy thanks to using a combo of butter and neutral oil.
Ingredients Needed
- Milk: You can use regular whole milk or dairy-free milk.
- Butter: Feel free to use regular butter or vegan butter for both the cupcakes and the frosting.
- Oil: I recommend using a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with liners.
Step 2: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and oil together until combined. Add the vanilla and eggs.
Step 3: Mix in the sugar and orange zest.
Step 4: Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch to a separate bowl and whisk until combined.
Step 5: Alternate adding the milk, orange juice, and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Step 6: Fill the cupcake liners with the cupcake batter so they’re ⅔ full. Bake in the oven for 13-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 7: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
Step 8: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and orange zest until smooth.
Step 9: Add the vanilla extract and ½ cup of powdered sugar and mix. Slowly add in the remaining powdered sugar, up to 2 ½ cups until you have your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, you can add a tablespoon of orange juice.
Step 10: Once your orange cupcakes are completely cool, frost and enjoy!
Decorating Your Cupcakes
Other than eating cupcakes, I think decorating is the most fun part! Here are a few ways I love to decorate these cupcakes:
- Decorate each cupcake with an orange wedge. You can use fresh orange wedges or dried ones!
- Sprinkle over fresh orange zest.
- Drizzle over some melted chocolate if you’re a chocolate lover!
- Add sliced candied oranges or an orange peel twist!
Expert Tips
- I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients, especially your flour! It’s super easy to add too much flour if you use measuring cups, which will make your cupcakes dry and dense.
- Don’t have a kitchen scale? Then make sure you use the scoop and level method to weigh out your flour!
- If you still want those chocolate orange vibes, feel free to swap out the orange frosting for chocolate orange buttercream!
- Make sure not to overfill the cupcake liners with batter, or it’ll overflow in the oven.
Storage Instructions
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
You can store leftover orange buttercream in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge and then rewhip with a stand mixer or handheld mixer before using.
More Citrus Flavored Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Orange Cupcakes
Ingredients
Orange Cupcakes
- ¼ cup (53 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
- ¼ cup (54 ml) oil (canola oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or sunflower oil)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons orange zest, (1-2 oranges)
- 1¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (83 ml) milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
- ¼ cup (67 ml) orange juice
Orange Buttercream
- 1½ cup (315 g) butter, softened, (regular or dairy free)
- 1-1½ Tablespoons orange zest, (1-2 oranges)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½-3 cups (300 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1-2 Tablespoons orange juice, as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line one cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the granulated sugar and orange zest.
- Add in flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder to a separate bowl and whisk together.
- Alternate slowly adding in the milk, orange juice, and the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Add the cupcake batter to the cupcake tin, filling each cavity ⅔ full. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. While they cool, make the buttercream.
Orange Buttercream
- In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter and orange zest until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla extract and ½ cup powdered sugar and mix again. Slowly add in the rest of the powdered sugar, up to 2½ cups. If the buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.If the buttercream is too thick, add in orange juice 1 tablespoon at a time to thin it out to the consistency you want.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost, decorate as desired, and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.