Teesa's Dreamsicle Cupcakes

These creamy and dreamy, and OH SO MOIST orange flavored cupcakes will melt in your mouth. They literally taste just like a dreamsicle Ice cream!

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 21

Servings 2 Dozen Standard Cupcakes

Calories 389 kcal

In a medium bowl, combine flour & baking powder. Whisk together and set aside.
In your stand mixer or a large bowl with hand mixer, blend sugar & eggs on med/high speed until smooth and frothy. Color will lighten. Turn down speed to low and add in oil and orange emulsion/extract.
Continuing on low, add in the Mandarin orange segments. Mix on med/low until incorporated.
Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning with flour mixture, and ending with flour mixture. (You will add flour mixture 3 times, and buttermilk twice) If you are adding food coloring, add it with the last mandarin orange mixture, so that you don't overmix the batter. Mix until just combined. Over mixing can result in dense and chewy cupcakes.
Bake cupcakes at 335 for approx 19 to 22 minutes. In my oven, 21 minutes is perfect, but mine runs a bit hot. Cook until inner temp is 205 to 210, or until the cupcake bounces back when pressed lightly. Don't overcook. These cupcakes are so moist and wonderful, it would be a shame to overcook! ;-)
Cool your cupcakes while you make the frosting.

NOTE: I make the twirl frosting with the same ingredients, just halving what I do to each half. If you do not want to do that, you can just make the orange flavored one.
With hand or stand mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth.
Add in butter 2 tbsp at a time, until smooth.
Add salt
Add sifted powdered sugar in about 3 or 4 batches until the frosting reaches your desired thickness for piping.
Add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness. (or go down to smaller amounts if you think you are close and don't need a whole cup more). Don't over-mix or it can get too soft. If it does, just put it in the fridge until it firms up.
You will now stop and take out approx half of the frosting and put in a piping bag. Now continue on with the half that is remaining.
Add ½ of the box of dry orange gelatin powder, and the orange emulsion/extract, and mix until incorporated. Pipe the remaining orange frosting into a piping bag. You will now have 2 bags. A cream cheese frosting and an orange frosting.
Put both of the bags into one single piping bag with the tip of your choice. Once you pipe this onto your cupcakes you will get a swirl effect.
Pipe unto your cooled cupcakes and enjoy! Makes enough frosting to to top off all 20 - 24 of your cupcakes.
I make Royal Icing Transfers to add to the top. Little orange slices. They are so cute!! I have added a free downloadable to my site that you can printout and use if you like!

I know it may be tempting, but it's best not to soften cream cheese in the microwave. Your butter/cream cheese should be soft to the touch, but not melted. It's totally worth the time it takes to bring them to room temp.
Be sure your cream cheese and buttermilk aren't cold. This can also cause your ingredients not to mix together correctly.
If you refrigerate your cream cheese frosting, it will set firm. You can beat for approx 2 minutes on medium speed to bring it back to room temperature.
Sifting your powdered sugar will ensure you get a smooth, lump free pip-able frosting.

My ingredients are not mixing together correctly. What do I do?
Your fats may have been too warm. It may be curdled. If so, put your mixing bowl in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes, and try remixing.
Can I leave my Cream Cheese Cupcakes out on the counter?
Yes, but they will only last about 2 days this way. Refrigerated, they will last twice as long, maybe even a bit longer. You may just need to lay them out a bit before serving to soften the Cream Cheese Frosting.