Orange Crush Cupcakes

Over the past couple of years, I've turned a lot of my favorite treats into cupcakes.
Take for example, some of my favorite pies like the key lime pie cupcake,

and pumpkin pecan cupcakes.

My favorite ice cream flavors like mint chocolate chip,

and banana split.

Cookie treats - like an oreo cupcake,

and a samoa cupcake.

and snickerdoodle cupcakes. 

 

My favorite summertime beverage - a pink lemonade cupcake.

And my favorite wintertime treat - a smore cupcake.

I've even made cupcake versions of some favorite candy bars.  The rolo cupcake,

and the reeses peanut butter cupcake.

The one thing that I've never done is to make a cupcake version of a soda pop.  So here it is - my very first soda pop cupcake - The Orange Crush Cupcake.

These cupcakes were SUPER delicious and in my opinion, even better than their drinkable counterpart.

Orange Crush Cupcakes
2 cups flour                   
1 Tablespoon baking powder     
½ teaspoon salt              
¾ cup butter                  
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup orange crush soda
5 egg whites








Combine dry ingredients.  Beat butter 2 minutes.







Add sugar gradually.

Beat in orange juice and zest.

Add 1/3 of flour, ½ of soda and repeat.
 

Beat egg whites until stiff.
 

Fold into batter. 

Scoop into lined muffin pans.

Bake 18 minutes at 350.

 Cool on wire racks.

Meringue Frosting
8 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine ingredients in bowl of mixer.

Place over a pot of simmering water and heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees.

Remove pan from stove and whip with wire whisk on mixer.

Tint half of the frosting orange.

Fill piping bag with white and orange frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.

Not bad for my first attempt at a soda pop cupcake.  Who would have guessed that an orange crush would taste even better in cupcake form?

Enjoy!

Ciao!