I love the smell of fresh citrus and warm winter spices. There is just something about them that sings fall and these flavors shine in these Orange Spice Cupcakes. These cupcakes are a beautiful and unique addition to any autumn feast! They taste even better when made a day in advance, giving the spice flavors time to meld together.
Orange spice cupcakes
Yield 24 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
- zest of 1 orange, approximately 1 Tbsp.
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- Citrus Cream Frosting
- Orange Zest and ground cinnamon for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide 24 cupcake papers between two cupcake pans, placing one paper into each cup.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixture to cream together brown sugar, butter and orange zest until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, measure flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine and to eliminate any possible lumps.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the sugar mixture, mixing between each addition, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix batter just until thoroughly combined. Spoon cake batter into cupcake papers, filling each one about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean of any wet or gooey batter. Cool completely before frosting. If desired, frost and garnish with a bit of orange zest and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Citrus Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- Citrus Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 lb. (approximately 4 cups) confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
- 2-4 Tbsp. whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter, sugar, and juice concentrate. Start on low, speeding up as sugar combines with the butter. Beat until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and beat on high for 30-60 seconds longer. If needed, add remaining cream and beat another 30 seconds.
- Makes enough to spread on 24 cupcakes. For cupcakes with mounded/piped frosting, double this recipe.