Ingredients:
Orange Batter:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk (preferably whole milk)
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
Tip: Use a citrus zester and citrus juicer for fresh zest and freshly squeezed juice. Use standard measuring cups and spoons or scalesfor accurate measuring
Classic French Orange Buttercream:
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
1¾ cup (3½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (about 1 orange)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec
Decoration:
Several Large gumdrops or small spice drops
Granulated sugar for rolling
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two standard 12-cup muffin pans; line with paper cupcake liners.
Orange Batter:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir the milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange liqueur together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, orange zest, and sugar until light and fluffy.
Tip: To cream, start by placing the butter and orange zest in the bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed begin by beating the butter and orange zest about 1 minute until it is smooth and light in color.
With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly add the sugar to the butter, either one tablespoon at a time, or in a very slow steady stream, taking from 4 to 8 minutes to add all of the sugar, and beating until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and the mixture is a light, or pale yellow color, with a fluffy texture. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed.
Tip: For each egg, crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to thoroughly break up the egg before adding to the creamed mixture. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
- With the mixer on low speed, add about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down, and add about one half of the milk mixture, blending just until mixed. Scrape the bowl down again and continue alternating with the flour mixture and milk mixture, ending with the last portion of the flour, and stirring just until blended. The batter will be thin.
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Fill 2/3 full, using about ¼ cup of batter per cup.
Tip: Avoid over-filling the liners which may cause the batter to run-over the sides when baking. It is better to bake any remaining batter separately after the first pan of cupcakes has finished baking.
Bake:
- Bake, rotating pan halfway through, 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are just firm and spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly in cupcake pan, and turn out of pan when cool enough to handle. Repeat process with any remaining batter. Cool cupcakes completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Classic French Orange Buttercream:
- In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment combine eggs and egg yolks. Whisk on medium high speed for 5 to 8 minutes until the eggs become thick and lemon colored and drop in ribbons when the beater is lifted. Tip: continue beating the eggs until the sugar syrup is cooked.
- Meanwhile, in a medium size heavy saucepan, preferably non-stick, combine sugar and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir gently to avoid splashing the mixture onto the sides of the pan.
- When the syrup looks clear, clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pan, increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 238 degrees F, a soft-ball stage. While the syrup is cooking, wash away any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan by wiping upwards with a damp pastry brush so the sugar crystals don’t fall back into the syrup. Immediately remove pan from the heat and remove the candy thermometer. Tip: As soon as the syrup reaches 238 degrees F. immediately remove from the heat and pour the syrup into a glass measuring cup to stop the cooking.
- Quickly, as soon at the sugar syrup is done cooking, stop the mixer, pour a small amount of syrup into the beaten egg yolks, immediately turn the mixer on to high speed and beat for 5 to 10 seconds still using the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer off again, pour a little larger amount of syrup in the eggs, and immediately turn the mixer on to high speed for 5 to 10 seconds. Continue with the remaining syrup. Tip: You want to work quickly as the sugar starts to harden and thicken pretty quickly. Don’t allow any syrup to pour onto the whisk as it will spin the syrup around the sides of the bowl.
- Once all the sugar has been added to the eggs, continue beating the mixture at high speed, about 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture is cool. Tip: Touch the mixture and make sure it has cooled to room temperature. Also the outside of the bowl should feel cool to the touch.
- Stop the mixer, remove the whisk and attach the paddle. With the mixer on medium speed add the butter, about 2 tablespoons at a time and mixing 20 to 30 seconds after each addition; add the orange zest with the first butter addition. While adding the butter, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. The Buttercream may look curdled after the butter is added, but it will become smooth as you continue to beat it. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and continue beating until the Buttercream is thick and smooth, about another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Buttercream should be used immediately, or refrigerate or freeze until needed.
- Use a small offset spatula to frost the top of each cupcake, or use a pastry bag and decorating tip to pipe the frosting. Tip: If frosting seems too soft for piping, refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for the desired consistency. Refrigerate frosted cupcakes at least 30 minutes to firm up the frosting before adding gumdrops.
Decoration:
- Sprinkle a pastry mat or pastry board with granulated sugar, and using a sugared rolling pin, roll the gumdrops to a 1/8 or 1/16 inch thickness. Roll different colors together to blend the colors if desired. Cut gumdrops with a 1-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter that has been dipped in granulated sugar.
- Place several gumdrop leaves on each frosted cupcake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
TheBakingPan.com
___________________________________________________
|
