Foodie Friday - Orange Cupcakes & Summer Slaw

Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 T  olive oil

1 cup sugar
2 T vanilla

2 eggs

Zest of 1 orange

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with paper liners.

Combine butter, olive oil and sugar and mix on medium high speed about three minutes until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix about one more minute until well incorporated.  Stir in orange zest.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Separately combine heavy cream and orange juice.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the cream mixture and repeat, finishing with the flour.  Mix until just incorporated after each addition.

Scoop batter into prepared liners, filling about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake about twenty minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans about five minutes and then
 transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Marshmallow Cream Filling:

7 oz marshmallow fluff

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Cut butter into small pieces and add to fluff in a mixing bowl.  Beat on medium speed
until smooth and creamy. Fill a frosting press with marshmallow filling.

Using the filler attachment, insert about an inch into each cupcake and press the cream into the cupcakes.  Repeat 2 more into each cupcake.  It does not look pretty, but you will cover the holes with the buttercream frosting.

Orange Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/8 - 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

Zest of 1 orange

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Add orange juice, zest, and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until incorporated to reach desired consistency.  Whip on medium high speed about two minutes until smooth and creamy.  Transfer into a frosting press and pipe onto cupcakes. 

 Summer Apple Slaw

 2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced 

1 bag of Coleslaw Mix

 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced 

 3/4 cup dried cherries 

1/2 cup cider vinegar 

1/3 cup honey

 1/3 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

 Combine apples and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together vinegar and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss vinaigrette with apple mixture; cover and chill up to 4 hours.