Blood Orange Cupcakes use fresh orange juice and vanilla bean to create a decadent cupcake that will remind you of an orange creamsicle, but way better.

One of the best things about this time of year is the citrus. I’ve been making all sorts of yummy cocktails with grapefruit like my IPA mimosa, Grapefruit Mimosa, and Grapefruit Tequila Slammer. I’ve been eating Cara Cara oranges like they’re laced with crack cocaine. And I’ve been experimenting with blood oranges because they are simply gorgeous and pack a wonderfully tart citrus-y flavor.

You know I love to cook with vanilla beans. Afterall, I have a ton of them after I make a big batch of homemade vanilla extract every year. Well remember how awesome Orange Creamsicles were as a kid? Because these cupcakes are bursting with orange flavor from the juice and the zest, and taste like vanilla ice cream from the vanilla bean and heavy cream, all I could think of was those creamsicles and how much I loved them.

This cupcake packs a nice tight crumb and goes great with my blood orange frosting (although that didn’t turn out exactly as I had planned).

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 vanilla beans split and scraped
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 large eggs beaten
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
blood orange frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Increase speed of mixer to medium and continue to blend until the the butter and flour mixture is well incorporated and when squeezed between your fingers, it holds together.
In a separate bowl with a pouring spout, whisk together all remaining ingredients to create your wet portion.
With the mixer running on low, pour in about a third of the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape sides, add half of remaining wet ingredients, and beat on low until combined. Scrape sides again, add remaining wet ingredients, and beat on low until fully combined.
Use a cookie scoop to divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until testers inserted in the centers come out clean, about 24-28 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.
Top with blood orange frosting.

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Blood Orange Cupcakes