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Orange & Almond Cupcakes

Ultra soft and melt-in-the-mouth almond cupcakes with the refreshing aroma & flavour of oranges
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 small cupcakes
Author Shireen Sequeira @ www.ruchikrandhap.com

Ingredients

  • 90 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 85 grams caster sugar
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 85 grams all purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 25 grams almonds, powdered
  • 1/2 cup freshly extracted orange juice *see notes
  • 2-3 drops orange blossom water *see notes
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the topping

  • icing sugar (powdered/confectioner's sugar)
  • toasted almond flakes

Instructions

  • Line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake liners. Preheat oven at 180 degrees C
  • Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue beating
  • Sift in the flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, ground almonds and the orange zest and using a spatula, gently fold everything together till incorporated
  • Mix the orange juice a little at a time and fold. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, about 2 teaspoons per case (fill up about 2/3rds full per case)
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or till the skewer inserted comes out clean.  Place the muffin tray over a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before gently removing the cupcakes out. 
  • Cool completely before dusting with the icing sugar. Decorate with toasted almond flakes and serve  

Notes

Notes:
  1. If you don't have orange blossom water you may use orange essence or vanilla extract/essence or leave it out completely. Don't go overboard with the orange blossom water as it is a concentrate of orange blossoms (flowers) and hence very intense so just 2-3 drops will suffice. 
  2. If you like sweeter cupcakes you can prepare a syrup of 1/2-3/4th cup orange juice (from one big orange) and 1/2 cup sugar. Just bring the orange juice to a boil in a saucepan, add the zest of the orange and dissolve the sugar in it. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove and let it cool a bit. Once the cupcakes are out of the oven spoon a little of the syrup over them and then sprinkle the almond flakes. 
  3. If you are using the syrup you can leave the icing sugar out.
  4. This recipe yields 12 medium-small, flattish cupcakes. If you want large, dome shaped ones, you may get 6-8 and not 12 cupcakes.