Orange 'n' Cream Cupcakes

With summer officially here, I am definitely feeling nostalgic for the summer flavors I enjoyed as a kid. I'm sure most American kids can recall the wonderous taste of an orange creamsicle pop or Orange Julius drink. There's something delightfully tart, creamy, and sweet about it that embodies the taste of lazy summers.

Making that flavor into a cupcakes was a no brainer. This flavor has been one of my top sellers since I started offering it back in 2009. I was surprised to find that I had never blogged about it before, so figured it was about time I did. And speaking of blogging, I was very delighted to receive an email last week regarding my blog. Apparently, people are reading, and someone decided I qualified for the "Top 50 Cutest Cupcake Blogs." Thanks! You can find the complete list here. While I am very honored to make anyone's "top" list, I will say, if there is a top 50 list... exactly how many cupcake blogs are out there? Yikes. In any case, I definitely enjoy making new and different flavors, and am glad you enjoy reading the recipes I've come up with, so thanks for checking it out.

PastrySchools.net

Orange 'n' Cream Cupcakes
I use a yogurt cake base for this cupcake as it is extremely moist and delicious and has served me well for this recipe. Easily replace orange with lemon, grapefruit, ugli fruit, or any other citrus you want. Sadly, I found the base for this recipe so long ago, I don't even remember its source. Blogger fail.

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350˚.
Line cupcake tins. Makes approximately 18.

In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, & salt.
In medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, zest, vanilla, and oil.
Gently blend the wet into the dry mix, until incorporated. Do not over mix.
Fill cupcake lines 3/4 way full and bake for 20 minutes. Cool.

Orange 'n' Cream Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 butter, room temperature
• 1-1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

In stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until incorporated. Gradually add in powdered sugar, scraping down sides of bowl to fully incorporate. Add zest and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Pipe half the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. I make a swirled pattern on top, leaving space for another round of "orange" swirl. Add a little bit of food coloring to the remaining frosting, making it orange. Pipe the remaining frosting onto the cupcakes, completing the swirls.

New Website & Branding

Hey all!

No baking this time! Just wanted to invite you to check out my new website and branding.

www.kathleensconfections.com

Thank you to everyone who piped up and gave me their two cents; it is always appreciated! I have been contemplating the rebranding for quite sometime, and have been ridiculously inspired to go with a more nostalgic feel since some of my favorite flavors pay homage to an earlier era (see Orange Creamsicle & Soda Pop). And I've been over-watching some really classic TV shows lately, so I guess it's just on the brain (examples: Star Trek TOS, Bewitched & Get Smart). I love the funky designs and cool color schemes they played with back then, as well as space inspired imagery. It was an exciting time for "progress", and I ironically am looking back to it for the my own future. I guess for what's its worth, I also find that I am compelled to bake things that could be considered glorified bake sale items (have you tried my brownies???), so hailing back to the days of domestication seems appropriate.

As far as design, I wanted to keep things simple and straightforward. If you follow this blog, you know that I bake way more than what appears on the menu, and I'm always ready for a baking challenge if you throw one my way, but sometimes decisions are easier made when you aren't confronted with 1000 options (hello In-and-Out. Yes, I just compared my blog to the secret menu. I guess I'd better dream up an "animal style" cupcake now).

Also, I liked the idea that everything could be on one page, which is why I (with help) figured out how to get the thumbnail images, when hovered over, to pop up with their corresponding flavor. I am inspired to see what else javascript can do for me. Ideas include an order "form" page, instead of the mailto option that comes up when you click "place an order."

So, stay tuned for what's coming. I am excited to roll out the packaging and printed matter that accompanies this new branding - the holidays are already on my mind!