thehairybabysmum, the orange cupcake recipe is attached below.
The only place that I managed to find the Orange Blossom Water is a large Sainsburys. Asda didn't have it, but didn't get around to looking in Tescos.
My BIL is a chef and is going to try them today to see if his results differ. But his gut feel is that maybe I wasn't whisking the mixture long enough at each point they suggest. I think he might be right...
Orange Cupcakes
Makes 12 Regular Cupcakes
110g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
225g caster sugar, preferably golden
2 large eggs, free-range or organic
150g self-raising flour, sifted
125g plain flower, sifted
90ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated zest of 1 orange (1 teaspoon)
Orange Blossom Buttercream Icing
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
500g icing sugar, sifted
1-2 teaspoons orange blossom water (concentrated one)
Preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180C/350F/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with the appropriate size cupcake cases.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.
Combine the two flours in a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in half the milk and beat well. Add another third of the flour and beat again. Beat in the remainder of the milk and all the orange juice. Finish by adding the last third of the flour and the orange zest and beat well. If the mixture looks like it is curdling slightly, don?t panic ? simply add another spoonful of plain flour and beat well.
Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until lightly golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes ? it should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, ice with orange blossom buttercream icing and decorate with either an orange sugar flower, orange zest or, if you are lucky enough to find any, some fresh orange blossom flowers.
For the Buttercream:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, juice and half the icing sugar until smooth ? this can take several minutes using an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the orange blossom water and beat again. Taste the icing to see if it is flavoured enough and if necessary add a little more of the orange blossom water.