Best Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes With Buttercream Poppies Recipes

ORANGE AND POPPY SEED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, poppy seeds and orange zest. Stir briefly to combine.
• In a separate bowl, add orange juice, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk briefly just to break up the egg yolks.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, along with the yogurt and milk, and gently mix until combined - but be careful not to over mix. Spoon batter into prepared tin.
• Bake cake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the cream cheese frosting, add butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and continue to beat until smooth.
• Add orange juice and mix until frosting is creamy. Taste and add extra orange juice if needed. Generously frost the top of the cake. Scatter over fresh orange zest.

ORANGE CURD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Line two standard muffin tins with 18 paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in vanilla seeds and orange zest. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until combined after each addition.
• Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Orange Curd: In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, both zests, and egg yolks; whisk in citrus juices and salt. Add butter; place pan over medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around edge of pan, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
• Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Press plastic wrap against surface of curd; refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
• Frosting: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low speed, add 7 cups confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is reached.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip with about 2 cups curd. Insert tip into center of each cupcake, squeezing gently to just fill. Reserve any remaining curd for another use.
• Fill another pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip with frosting and pipe onto cupcakes. Decorate with dried orange slices, if desired.