Another order came my way.
Can you believe this!!!!!!!!
It’s January. It’s wintery.
We still need those warming spicy flavors, with a hint of vanilla orange creamsicle, right?
My favorite thing about these Winter Vanilla Orange Cinnamon Nutmeg Cupcake treats is that they all look DIFFERENT. They are uniquely beautiful in all 12 ways. (The recipe makes 12 cupcakes).
Winter Vanilla Orange Cinnamon Nutmeg Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh orange juice + zest of 1 large orange
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.
Add the orange juice and zest, cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
Fill the cupcake liners about half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla Buttercream:
2 cups salted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbs. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Cream together all ingredients until soft and fluffy.
Fill icing bags with the buttercream and using a star tip, frost until your heart’s desire.
Perfection is NOT the desired outcome. Have fun, get creative, and enjoy the process.
Cinnamon Nutmeg “Magic Dust” & Orange Garnish:
1 large navel orange, very thinly sliced
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Quarter the orange slices and delicately top each little cake.
Combine all the magic dust ingredients.
Using a fine mesh colander or sieve, tap and sprinkle the magic dust over the garnished cupcakes.
