ORANGE CREAMSICLE CUPCAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees..I usually bake cupcakes at 345 degrees...just seems to work better in my oven. Line 27 muffin tins with paper baking cups. Set aside 2 teaspoons of the gelatin for the cream pop frosting. In a mixing bowl beat the remaining gelatin, the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, eggs, oil and vanilla.
• 2. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
• 3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin tin. Cool completely before filling with buttercreme non-dairy mixture with a #1M decorators tip inserted into the cupcake. (directions to follow below).
• 4. *NOTE..Bettercreme icing and filling can be found at most decorator baking stores...where they sell cake and candy making supplies. If they don't have it, ask if they can get it for you..I found it by asking for it. (look on line at www.richs.com to see where they sell it in your area). It comes in 32 ounce cartons; start by putting 1/2 the creme into a medium size bowl and mix at medium speed for up to 8 minutes just until it starts getting to soft to medium peaks. Place in refrigerator until ready to fill and frost cupcakes. Now move on to making the Orange cream cheese frosting.
• 5. Cream Pop Frosting: Allow cream cheese to stand at room temp for 30 minutes or longer. In a large bowl beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Makes about 3 1/2 cups. You may have some leftover, but it freezes well and can be used for another batch of cupcakes. Now add the 2 teaspoons of leftover orange gelatin and blend well, now add orange food coloring a few drops at at time to get a orange sherbert color. (if you do not have orange...then add one drop of red to 2-3 drops of yellow..be careful, you have to eyeball it for the color) Set this frosting aside while getting ready to fill cupcakes with the Bettercreme filling.
• 6. Take the Bettercreme that has already been whipped from the fridge and attach a 1M tip to a decorator's bag that has been snipped at the end to fit the tip. ONce the tip is into place fill the bag half way with the bettercreme filling. Now take each cupcake and poke tip half way into cupcake and squeeze while pulling tip out of the cupcake..you will see the filling going onto the cupcake, it is a technique that is easy to do. Do all 27 cupcakes. Once all are filled go onto combining frostings into another decorator's bag with the 1M tip attached...this is tricky...but will become easier as you do it, (you may have to whip up more of the bettercreme at this point to finish frosting the cupcakes)... with a large knife place a large amount of Cream Pop frosting onto one side of the cone shaped decorator's bag..leaving room on the other side to add the buttercreme icing...this will give you the swirl effect once you squeeze the bag, you then want to go in a circle motion with the icing going on top of the cupcake. You might want to practice a few times to get the knack of it. Frost each cupcake, and remember you will need to refill bag several times to get all the cupcakes done. Once they are all frosted insert wooden craft stick into top of cupcake until it enters into the cupcake. Wahlaaaa...you now have a orange creamsicle cupcake!
• 7. NOTE on frosting! IF you cannot find the bettercreme icing and filling...then just use the Cream Pop frosting for the topping of the cupcake and omit the filling of the cupcake..this is how the orginal recipe was, I made mine with the filling inside and the swirled frosting by using this Bettercreme filling...it is so much better that way. Also if you use the Cream Pop icing alone..then take about a half cup or so and set aside before adding the 2 teaspoons of gelatin or food coloring to the large portion of the frosting..this is so you can place a small dollop on top of the orange frosting..see picture of the single cupcake above, that is how I did it according to the orginal recipe I found..that was my first try at making this cupcake before I decided to add a creme filling to the inside and swirling both frostings on top (see second picture of multi cupcakes showing swirl effect)..I hope this all makes sense, sorry so wordy, but trying to explain everything gets a bit lengthy. Good luck..and any questions..please ask.