Easy orange cupcakes with glace icing

These cupcakes are simple enough to make with kids and delicious enough to be enjoyed by everyone!

Photographs: Natasha Liviero / Pexels

Text: Natasha Liviero

Easy orange cupcakes

Makes 18

Ingredients:

270g castor sugar

5g orange zest

70g butter, room temperature

240g flour

15g baking powder

Pinch salt

10g canola/neutral oil

2 XL eggs

240g full cream milk

10g vanilla extract

260g icing sugar

10g butter, melted

30g orange juice

Method:

1. Set oven to 1850C.

2. Place cupcake cases into 12-hole muffin tins.

3. Place castor sugar and orange zest into the bowl of a stand mixer. With your fingertips, massage the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed and fragrant.

4. Add the butter, flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl and mix with a paddle attachment on low speed until the mixture resembles sea sand.

5. Mix the oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

6. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the sugar mixture and mix on low speed until the batter is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and be careful of over-mixing the batter — stop mixing as soon as it is smooth and shiny.

7. Spoon 50g batter into each cupcake case and bake for 13-15 minutes until slightly browned or until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.

8. Leave to rest in the muffin tins for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes and cooling completely on cooling racks.

9. Once the cupcakes have cooled, prepare the glace icing by placing the icing sugar, melted butter and orange juice into a bowl and whisking by hand until smooth. Add extra icing sugar or orange juice for a thicker or thinner consistency. You may also dilute the orange juice with water for a milder flavour.

10. Spoon the glaze over the cupcakes and decorate as desired.

11. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to three days.

Notes:

• Swap the orange zest and juice for lemon to enjoy lemon-flavoured cupcakes.

• For kids, decorate with sprinkles and sweets. For adults, decorate with fruits like strawberries and raspberries or chopped pistachios.