As Good as Blue Cupcakes

First Born is credited with these cupcakes; he asked for them, helped make them, and then named them; when I pulled the finished cupcakes out of the oven he said, "Ah, as good as blue!" 

I'm also convinced he's psychic, since I was seriously craving cupcakes on my way home from work today.

 "As Good As Blue Cupcakes" are a bit of a surprise, because they're actually orange.  I whipped up some of my favorite chocolate buttercream to top them, which was all a terrible idea since I'm trying to watch what I eat, and I'm instead watching the cupcakes disappear off the plate.

As Good As Blue Cupcakes

(makes 12)

.5 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1.5 cups flour
.5 tsp. baking soda
.25 tsp. baking powder
.25 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream (I only used a half, and they're not nearly as moist as they could be)
1/8 c. orange juice
.5 tsp. orange extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin pan
2.  Mix the good stuff first:  softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla.  Add the sour cream and stir thoroughly.
3. Mix the dry goods, or just let little hands dump them in the bowl in whatever order comes first.
4. Stir in the orange juice and extract.
5. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full

 

 6.  Bake for 18-20 minutes (I did 21 and my cupcakes were a little dry.  Something turned out too raw recently, so I'm a little moist-gun-shy).








7.   Remove from pan and let cook on a rack.

 Chocolate Buttercream
(frosts twelve cupcakes) 

1.75 c. powdered sugar (odd, I know, but it's what I had left)
4 Tbsp. butter
.5 c. cocoa powder
1/8 c. milk/cream of choice


Mix is up, using a hand mixer to avoid the lumps you can see in mine, and slather it one.