Dan's orange creamsicle birthday cupcakes

I could wax poetic about my very bestest friend and (new!) spiffy significant other, Dan. Instead, we'll keep it simple (because I'm sure you'll ask if you want to know my life drama.) 

Dan told me that as a child, he used to eat orange swirl soft serve ice cream with chocolate sprinkles from Kohr Bros., and anything orange-cream-flavored reminded him of his childhood. 

So I invented these cupcakes for him for his birthday. Because nothing says "You mean the world to me and I never want to be without you" like 12 cupcakes. For the record, he did eat four of them, even after I took them to work to share with an office full of people. So I guess they're good.

Dan's orange creamsicle birthday cupcakes

They look like boring old vanilla cupcakes...
BUT THEY ARE NOT.

Notes:

To make them vegan, just omit the white chocolate chips, or find some vegan white chocolate chips. I live in the culinary butthole of the United States, so I haven't been lucky to find vegan white chocolate chips at any grocery store I've visited.

I've always found the best baking stuff at craft stores, oddly. Go to Michael's or AC Moore for fancy cupcake liners, disposable(!!!!) pastry bags and frosting tips. I'm almost convinced the cupcake liners make the cupcake. If they're pretty, the cupcakes look more appetizing and awesome. Don't settle for boring cupcake liners.

FOR THE CUPCAKES

1 c. soy milk

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. cornstarch

3/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. Earth Balance butter

3/4 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

3/4 t. orange extract

2/3 c. white chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.) Whisk the soy milk and vinegar together in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle.

3.) Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

4.) Cream Earth Balance butter and sugar together until it's light and fluffy. Add vanilla and orange extracts. Beat in the soy milk mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl.

5.) Add the dry ingredients and mix until no large lumps remain. Stir in the white chocolate chips.

6.) Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. 

7.) Remove from muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack.

FOR THE FROSTING

1/2 c. Crisco

1/2 c. Earth Balance Butter

4 c. confectioners' sugar

4 T. orange juice

1 t. finely grated lemon zest

2 t. vanilla extract

1 t. orange extract

1.) Cream Crisco and Earth Balance butter together until well-combined. 

2.) Add confectioners' sugar in roughly 1/2-cup additions. 

3.) Add orange juice, lemon zest and extracts and beat until it looks like frosting.

4.) Spread (don't pipe) frosting on cooled cupcakes.

5.) Devour cupcakes yourself or share with the entire office. Go crazy.