Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes made with extra-virgin olive oil, speckled with crunchy poppy seeds and topped with a delicious orange scented cream cheese frosting!
Are you crazy about citrus season as I am? It's one of my favorite things to utilize because it's the most versatile ingredient. From sweet desserts, to savory meals, to refreshing cocktails, there isn't anything citrus can't do!
If you're looking for more citrus recipes, get your fix with my Lemon Poppy Seed Yogurt Cake, Blood Orange Cinnamon Rolls and Lemon Tart.
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Why You'll Love These Orange Cupcakes
- Natural orange flavor. We're using plenty of freshly grated orange zest for bold orange flavor.
- So moist and tender. Using a combination of cake flour, full-fat sour cream and extra virgin olive oil gives these orange muffins great texture. A super light and moist crumb!
- Not too sweet. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
- Freezes incredibly well! It's a great way to keep some on hand for when you're craving it. You can read notes on how to freeze these cupcakes below in the "storage" section!
Ingredient Notes
Orange Poppy Seed Cupcake
- All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour) + Cake Flour - I love using a combination of all-purpose and cake flour for the perfect light texture. I used Swans Down's Bleached Cake Flour.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda - Gives the cupcakes a bit of lift and creates a light texture.
- Salt - Round out the flavors.
- White Granulated Sugar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Adds a fruitiness that works well with the orange flavor and makes the cake so moist.
- Blood Orange Zest + Juice - We're using a combination of real orange juice and fresh orange zest. The orange juice will help tenderize the cake, while the zest adds flavor.
- Eggs - Adds structure and helps the batter emulsify.
- Sour Cream - Adds structure and moisture. Make sure to use full-fat sour cream for best results.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste - For flavor.
- Poppy Seeds - Adds texture.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese from the block, not whipped cream cheese.
- Butter - You can use unsalted or salted butter.
- Powdered Sugar - Also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar.
- Orange Juice - We'll be using some blood orange juice to add flavor and color to the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract or Paste - For flavor.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes! Please find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, rub white sugar and orange zest together.
Step 2. Add extra virgin olive oil and eggs to the orange sugar and beat together with an electric mixer until smooth.
Tip: Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You can quickly bring them to temperature by submerging in hot tap water for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4. Whisk in sour cream, blood orange juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 5. Sift in dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds & salt) and gently mix into the wet ingredients until combined.
Step 5. Add muffin liners to a 12-cup muffin pan and fill each cavity with ⅔ full of batter. You should get exactly 12 cupcakes.
Step 6. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 7. Once your cupcakes are cooled, make your cream cheese frosting. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and frost your cupcakes. Alternative, you can just scoop frosting onto your cupcakes and spread with an offset spatula for a rustic look. Enjoy!
Substitutions
- Cake Flour - If you can't find cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour. Your cupcakes won't be as light though.
- Sour Cream - You can easily substitute for full-fat Greek Yogurt.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Although the extra virgin olive oil isn't very strong in flavor, you can also use light olive oil. Any neutral oil will do as well, such as avocado, canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil.
- Poppy Seeds - If you don't have poppy seeds or don't like them, you can simply omit them completely.
- Blood Orange - If you're unable to find blood oranges, you can use regular oranges. Alternatively, you can easily substitute the oranges for lemon or grapefruit (you'll need 1 tablespoon of zest for the batter)!
Variations
- Orange Glaze - Instead of topping with a cream cheese frosting, you can make a simple orange glaze by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of orange juice.
- Add Almond Extract - For a flavor twist, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
- Gluten-Free - You can easily make these cupcakes gluten-free by subbing for a 1 to 1 gluten-free flour blend.
Equipment
- 12 Cup Muffin Pan - I love using this muffin pan by USA Pan (not an affiliate link)!
- Digital Kitchen Scale - This is the exact scale I use. It's so reliable! (not an affiliate link)
Storage
- Room Temperature - Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer - You can easily freeze individual unfrosted cupcakes. Cool cupcakes completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and then store in freezer bags for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before enjoying!
Expert tips
Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams is the best and most accurate way to bake!
If you are not using a kitchen scale, measure your flour correctly. Fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Don't skip rubbing the sugar and orange zest together. Rubbing the orange zest into the sugar helps to release the oils from the zest, resulting in more fragrant cupcakes.
Follow the recipe as written. I know it can be tempting to alter ingredients and measurements, but doing so will not give you the best results. For instance, do not add less sugar. Sugar not only adds flavor, it also keeps the cake moist. Trust me when I tell you, this cake it not sweet at all!
Use room temperature ingredients to ensure a smooth batter. This includes the sour cream and eggs.
Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will activate the gluten in the flour and can make your cupcakes tough.
Do not overbake as this will dry out your cupcakes. Mine took exactly 16 minutes to fully bake!
FAQ
Cake flour is a low protein flour that has been milled into a fine consistency. For comparison, cake flour contains 6 to 8% protein, while all-purpose flour contains 9 to 12% (different brands will vary). Lower protein means, less gluten, which is why it's ideal for cakes and cupcakes.
The taste is reminiscent of a navel orange, but with a hint of raspberry.
No, you can definitely use regular oranges! Feel free to use lemon or grapefruit too!
I use King Arthur's Weight Chart! You just enter the name of an ingredient and a chart converts your volume metric into grams. It's so handy!
More Citrus Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes
- ¾ Cup (90g) All-Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cups (90g) Cake Flour *see note below
- 1 ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Poppy Seeds
- ¾ Cup (150g) White Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons of Orange Zest **see note below
- ½ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (113g) Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Large Egg room temp
- ⅔ Cup (151g) Full-Fat Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt) room temp
- 3 Tablespoons Blood Orange Juice or regular orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 Ounces 227g Full-Fat Cream Cheese room temp ***see note below
- ½ Cup (113g) Butter room temp
- 3 ½ to 4 Cups (396g to 454g) Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Blood Orange Juice
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 350ºF (176ºC).
- Add muffin liners to a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine grated orange zest and white sugar. Using your fingers, rub the mixture together until it becomes fragrant.
- With an electric mixer, whisk together the orange sugar mixture, extra-virgin olive oil and eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl half way through.
- Add the sour cream, blood orange juice and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. About 1 minute.
- In 2 additions, sift in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds & salt) and mix on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix!
- Evenly distribute the batter into each cupcake liner, filling each about ⅔ full. Use a standard ice cream scoop to make distributing the batter into the liners much easier.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before making the cream cheese frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add 3 ½ cups of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons blood orange juice and ½ teaspoon of vanilla; mix on low speed until combined. If you'd like a thicker frosting, add another ½ cup of powdered sugar.
- Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and frost your cupcakes. Alternative, you can just spoon frosting onto your cupcakes and spread with an offset spatula for a rustic look. Enjoy!
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