Dreamy Orange Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package orange cake mix
• 3/4 cup creamy salad dressing (such as miracle whip®)
• 1 (1.3 ounce) envelope dry whipped topping mix (such as dream whip®)
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 (13 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 drops orange paste food coloring, or as desired
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 45 mins


• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• beat together the orange cake mix, creamy salad dressing, whipped topping mix, 3/4 cup orange juice, eggs, and 2 tablespoons orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is moist, about 1 minute. scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then increase speed to medium and continue beating until well blended, about 2 minutes more. fill the prepared cupcake cups about 2/3 full of batter.
• bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• to make cream topping: beat the marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1/2 cup shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. top each cooled cupcake with a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cream topping, using a knife to spread the the topping flat. allow about 1/2 inch of the orange cupcake to show below the white layer.
• to make orange butter cream: beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening together in a bowl until light and fluffy. mix in 1/4 cup orange juice, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and food coloring until well combined. gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.
• transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe a decorative layer of orange butter cream, ending in a peak, over the cream topping on the cupcakes.