Orange Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350º.

Get your orange cups ready before making the batter. Cut all oranges in half and remove all the pulp with a metal spoon and set aside to use in the recipe. Using a zester, I scraped the bottom of the orange cups to make them more level so they could stand on their own. Reserve the zest.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and the reserved zest until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, orange extract, juice, pulp and eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three stages, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into the prepared orange “cups” that are set in muffin tins. Bake in the center rack in the 350º oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cups and cool completely on a rack before icing.

Add a couple of drops orange extract and orange food coloring to your favorite frosting and cover their tops.