Little orange-almond cupcakes for National Cupcake Day 2015!

Remember earlier this month when I announced that today, February 23rd, is Canada’s Third National Cupcake Day – raising money for SPCAs and Humane Societies across the country? That’s right –  today is all about cupcakes – and raising money to help animals in need all around Canada.

I’m excited to announce that I am *this* close to reaching my fundraising goal and am hoping that this post and recipe will help me reach my goal.  I’m not able to host a bake sale today so I’m hosting a  virtual/ in real life event – I’m posting the recipe here and “in real life” I’ll take them to work today to share with my colleagues (‘cos sweet treats are always welcome on a Monday morning!).

These are mini cupcakes – my favourite kind, really, because it’s *just* enough of a sweet hit – sometimes cupcakes are ginormous these days! These are made with almond and all-puprose flour so they are a denser kind of cake, not unlike a financier, and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting. Since I’m a zest fan, I’ve topped these with a little clementine zest (and there’s zest in the cakes too!). Bright clean flavours for a dull, chilly Monday…

Yield: 20 minis

Little orange clementine cupcakes

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Mini cupcakes made with almond flour with loads of zest!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the cakes:

• 60g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 55g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• zest of 1/2 an orange or 1 clementine
• 40g almond meal
• 50g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 60mls (1/4 cup) orange juice
• 1 egg white

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 125 cream cheese, at room temperature
• 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4-1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1-2 teaspoons orange zest (to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Cream butter and sugar with an electric hand beater or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale in colour and smooth.
3. Add the egg and zest and beat to combine well.
4. Using a rubber spatula, incorporate the almond meal, flour and baking powder. the mixture will be quite stiff.
5. Add the orange juice, stirring gently to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, whip the egg white to soft peaks.
7. Fold the egg white into the almond meal mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
8. To fill mini cupcake liners, use a teaspoon or place the batter into a piping bag and pipe the mixture into the baking cups.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
10. Serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar or allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the cream cheese frosting:

1. Combine cream cheese, zest and butter with an electric hand-held beater or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until soft and creamy.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar (to taste – I like mine on the tart side), mixing to combine well.

did you make this recipe?

please leave a comment or review on the blog or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @eatlivtravwrite !

Support me in helping animals in need!

Today, I’ll be sharing these cupcakes with my colleagues in return for donations.  However, if you like the look of the recipe here today, you’re welcome to donate too. If you’d like to visit my “online bakery”,  just head to my personal page (updated each year) on the National Cupcake Day website, where you will be able to donate to the cause.

Donations will help shelters across Canada give a surrendered cat or dog a new forever home, rescue a neglected or abused animal and give them a second chance at a new life, and provide emergency surgery injured animals. Go on, the cats and dogs of Canada will thank you

Other cupcakes you might also enjoy:
National Cupcake Day 2013: Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2014: Jaffington Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2015: Little Orange and Almond Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2016: Jam and Cream Butterfly Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2017: Strawberry Yoghurt Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2018: Double Chocolate Buckwheat Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2019: Fudge-y Chocolate Cupcakes
National Cupcake Day 2020: Lemon-Blueberry Financiers

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