I Vant to Suck Your Blood (Orange Cupcakes)

As a child, I LOVED to watch scary movies. Anything with vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. The only problem was that I also happen to be a major scaredy cat and so was terribly spooked by these ghouls and goblins, especially at bedtime. Many nights would find me in the kitchen with my mom putting off the long, lone walk to my bedroom while she would wash the dishes and clean up before coming to tuck me in. Most nights, after yelling after me, "Miss C (ironically my mom's nickname for me since childhood has been "Miss C" or "Little Miss C"), go to bed!!!" At which point, I would take off in a wild sprint, blazing down the hall, flying up the stairs and bound into my bed, pulling my sheets up to my chin -- so that no vampire could get his fangs into me!

One of my favorite shows in elementary school was an ABC soap opera called Dark Shadows which featured a main character named Barnabas Collins who just happened to be a vampire. As soon as the bus dropped me off from school, I would rush in and tune into the continuing episodes of the clan at Collinswood and from what I recall, this show was really campy. A classic example of '70's bad programming. While researching the show for this post, I actually learned that one of my favorite leading men,Johnny Depp, was a big fan as a child too and will be teaming up later this year once again with Tim Burton for a big screen version.
A close, close friend (not a vampire, at least that I know of) is visiting Paris this week from NYC. She was incredibly considerate and kind to schlep over two mini muffin pans for me. Minis coming soon to my menu! I baked up my first batch of Easter minis yesterday - one variety is my entry for this month's Iron Cupcake : Soda Pop challenge. The flavor combination comes from a classic bistro "cocktail" for kids called "un Indien," which is made from mixing Orangina with sirop de grenadine. These are Orangina cupcakes filled with a creme de grenadine and topped with blood orange buttercream.

The others pictured in the Easter minis assortment are vanilla minis with vanilla bean buttercream (green candy egg on top), chocolate chip minis with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting (orange egg), and white chocolate minis with a rose petal buttercream (yellow egg).

Here's the recipe for the "Indien"/Blood Orange Cupcakes. You should be okay eating them once the sun has gone down, just remember not to invite any strangers into your home to share them with you! ;)

Recipe for Indien/Blood Orange Cupcake
Yields @16 regular size cupcakes or @ 48 minis
4 ozs. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fleur d'oranger
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup buttermilk /lait fermente
1/2 cup Orangina
1) Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Grease or place cupcake liners into cupcake tins.
2) Cream together sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg, fleur d'oranger, baking soda, salt and mix until well-combined. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk in 3 batches, mix well until smooth. Add in Orangina and mix to combine.
3) Fill cupcake pans about 2/3 full.
4) Bake for 17-20 minutes for regular size, 10-12 minuts for minis, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool on wire rack.

Creme de Grenadine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp sirop de grenadine
Beat the cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold in sirop de grenadine until well-combined without over-mixing. It should have the consistency of a thick yogurt. If too thin, add in extra sugar 1 tbsp. at a time.
Cut a cone shape in the tops off of each cupcake and remove. Spoon the creme de grenadine into each. Place the cupcake cones back on the cupcakes.
Blood Orange Buttercream
4 ozs. unsalted butter
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2 blood oranges
Beat butter and 4 cups sugar until creamy and soft. Add in the zest and juice of the blood oranges and continue beating until frosting is of good spreading consistency. If too thin, progressively add more sugar.
And here's what I need to tell you about Iron Cupcake -- Voting will begin no later than Wednesday, April 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, and will be open through Monday, May 4 at 12 noon. This is the April ETSY PRIZE-PACK I am competing for:

* A creation by FRUITFLYPIE
* a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES
* a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery
* PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!
Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS, TASTE OF HOME books, and a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.