ORANGE CHIFFON CUPCAKES with ORANGE BUTTER ICING

CUPCAKES
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
4 large eggs separated
1/3 cup water
1 ½ grated orange zest
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare cupcake pans.

1. Sift the cake flour, ¾ cup of the sugar, the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Using a large spoon, make a well in the center of the flour mixture and put in the yolks, oil, water, zest, orange juice and vanilla and almond extracts in the well.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mixture until smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.
3. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.
4. Set aside.
5. In another large bowl. With clean beaters, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the whites are foamy and the cream of tartar dissolves.
6. Beat on high speed until the egg whites look shiny and smooth and the beaters form lines in the mixture; if you stop the mixer and lift up the beaters, the egg whites should cling to the beaters.
7. Slowly beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat for one minute.
8. Stir in about one third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
10. Bake for about 35 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Cool upside down for 45 minutes, then remove from pans.
(Klivens suggests setting the pan upside down with a can at either end to allow for air circulation. I just turned the pans upside down on the wire rack, no cans.)



ICING
1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

In a small bowl, stir in the powdered sugar, melted butter, orange zest and orange juice together until smooth and thick.
Use a small spatula to spread a thin layer of icing over the top of each cupcake, about 1 tablespoon for each.

The cupcakes can be covered and stored at rooM temperature for up to 2 days.


From "“cupcakes!" ” by Elinor Klivans

Stumble It!

posted by DAISYCAKES at 12:16 AM