If you’ve been reading for awhile you will know that I love to doctor cake mixes as well as create my own recipes from scratch.  I love re-creating a packaged mix because it has a bit of a home-made taste but takes up less time.  Today I’m sharing a quick and easy cake-mix doctoring for some Orange Dream Cupcakes. Kind of my take on those Orange Dream Ice Cream Bars…a childhood treat.

 I used a standard yellow cake mix, any brand should do but I wouldn’t recommend a ‘butter yellow’ cake mix, just the regular kind. Prepare the mix as directed, it usually asks for three eggs, oil and water. Instead of using water use freshly squeezed orange juice.  First a used a grater to remove the zest from all my oranges. I used four fresh oranges, squeezing out all of their juice and topping off my measure cup (ended up being just slightly over 1/4 of a cup of water needed) and add that to your eggs, oil and mix. Lastly add your orange zest and mix thoroughly. Bake as directed.  Usually 19-22 minutes at 350 degrees.

I frosted my cupcakes with vanilla butter-cream icing (two sticks of butter creamed, package of powdered sugar and one and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract).  Just eye your powdered sugar and adjust as needed.  I added a few drops of yellow and red food coloring to give my frosting an ‘orange-y’ glow. Topped off my cupcakes with a tiny orange wedge.  So pretty…and easy!