ORANGE MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Orange Meringue Cupcakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 2h

Yield 24 cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 14

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2 cups cake flour (see Cook's Note)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
8 large egg whites
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons orange juice plus 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest and more, for serving
Pinch of cream of tartar
Pinch of fine salt

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Put the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and orange zest and pulse a few times to combine evenly. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some pea-size bits of butter.
Whisk together the milk, vanilla and eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout. With the food processor running, pour in the milk mixture and process until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, orange juice and zest, cream of tartar and salt in a medium heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat, using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak, about 7 minutes.
Generously pipe or spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with orange zest.