Orange Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Sorry about the freaky font.  I am perplexed as to why it looks this way.)

Note:  This recipe called for real vanilla beans, but as I have no idea where to get them, I opted for vanilla extract instead.  Also, these taste much better refrigerated and were my favorite of the 2 recipes I tried.

Cupcakes

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, and orange zest until pale and fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.

Combine cream, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Sift togetherflour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add

1. flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with cream mixture, ending with flour; beat until just combined.
2. 

   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 25 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 1 day (or frozen for up to 2 months).
    Frost and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• (I also added a bit of fresh orange juice)
• Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I have never been a fan of the cake mix cupcakes and this was my first venture into the "from scratch" cupcake recipe world.  There are a lot of recipes out there, but I was most impressed by what I found on Marthastewart.com  I bought a giant cupcake pan, a frosting bag, and frosting tips at Kitchen Kneads.  So fun.  They also have really cute cupcake liners.  

A word on the giant cupcakes:  they are really fun, but rather difficult to eat, and they take a lot of frosting.  

Also, I did find this frosting to be a bit sweet for my taste, but then again, I have frosting issues.  No one else complained. The frosting was colored with bright food coloring and I used some blue and purple sprinkles on top. The girls said they were "princess cupcakes". 

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
• Buttercream Frosting:
• Ingredients

1. • 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
   • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
   • Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
   • Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)