ORANGE ZEST CUPCAKES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Beat together the orange cake mix, creamy salad dressing, whipped topping mix, 3/4 cup orange juice, eggs, and 2 tablespoons orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is moist, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then increase speed to medium and continue beating until well blended, about 2 minutes more. Fill the prepared cupcake cups about 2/3 full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• To make cream topping: Beat the marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1/2 cup shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Top each cooled cupcake with a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cream topping, using a knife to spread the the topping flat. Allow about 1/2 inch of the orange cupcake to show below the white layer.
• To make orange butter cream: Beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in 1/4 cup orange juice, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and food coloring until well combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe a decorative layer of orange butter cream, ending in a peak, over the cream topping on the cupcakes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 6 cup muffin pan with paper liners. For the topping, in a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the sugar and 1/2 tsp. of the orange zest, pressing the zest into the sugar with the back of the spoon. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining orange zest. Stir in the remaining sugar. In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, melted butter and orange juice concentrate. Add all at once to the flour mixture and stir just until moistened.
• Divide the batter equally among the prepared cups. Sprinkle the tops with the sugar orange mixture. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly touched, 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely. You can spoon a dollop of orange marmalade into the center of the batter in each cup before baking. You can also top with chocolate frosting.