Dreamy Orange Cupcakes

These cupcakes blend two of my favorite flavors: orange and vanilla! Reminiscent of a childhood ice cream pop treat, these cupcakes will make you feel like a kid again!

Original recipe makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package orange cake mix
3/4 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip®)
1 (1.3 ounce) envelope dry whipped topping mix (such as Dream Whip®)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated orange zest

1 (13 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops orange paste food coloring, or as desired
4 cups confectioners’ sugar

PREP

30 mins
COOK

15 mins
READY IN

1 hr 45 mins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
Beat together the orange cake mix, creamy salad dressing, whipped topping mix, 3/4 cup orange juice, eggs, and 2 tablespoons orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is moist, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then increase speed to medium and continue beating until well blended, about 2 minutes more. Fill the prepared cupcake cups about 2/3 full of batter.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
To make cream topping: Beat the marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and 1/2 cup shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Top each cooled cupcake with a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cream topping, using a knife to spread the the topping flat. Allow about 1/2 inch of the orange cupcake to show below the white layer.
To make orange butter cream: Beat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup shortening together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in 1/4 cup orange juice, zest of 1 orange, vanilla extract, and food coloring until well combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe a decorative layer of orange butter cream, ending in a peak, over the cream topping on the cupcakes.