Orange Creamcicle Cupcakes

By bloomysgirl

Ingredients

• 1 box white cake mix (dry)
• 3oz box orange gelatin (dry)
• Eggs
• Oil
• Water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp orange zest
• (frosting:)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2.In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine dry cake mix and dry orange gelatin.
3.Measure out the water, using the amount shown on the cake mix box. Do NOT pour it into the mixing bowl yet! First, remove 1/4 cup of the water and replace it with 1/4 cup orange juice. Now pour it into the mixing bowl.
4.Add in eggs and oil, using the exact amounts shown on the cake mix box.
5.Add in orange extract and orange zest.
6.Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary.
7.Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8.Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9.Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10.Once cupcakes are completely cool, hollow out the center using an apple corer.
11. Make frosting, blending in mixer for 5 minutes. Save some white and make the rest orange colored.

To finish:
1.Spoon white frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Spoon orange frosting into a seperate piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
2.Fill center of each cupcake with white frosting.
3.Use orange frosting and swirl around the center of the cupcake two times. Fill the inside of the swirl with a dollop of white frosting.