the ballerina bakeshop: white swan cupcakes
These White Swan Cupcakes are of the orange-infused sort, and they are topped with a cream cheese frosting. A bitter-sweet combination – like the story of the white swan. She finds her prince, but they – you know – die.
The cupcakes have a gentle orange flavour, and are very moist. The cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with the citrus, and doesn’t need any fancy piping tools – just smear it on.
Of course, you could make any sort of cupcake you like, and then top it with your favourite frosting. I’d go with something white(ish), but that’s just me.
Making the toppers is mega easy. As in: you could just take a look at the photos and figure it out. But I’ll be back soon with a tutorial on the easiest craft ever.
. . .
Orange Cupcakes {White Swan Cupcakes}
recipe – adapted from Mary Margaret McBride’s Encyclopedia of Cooking 1958, Volume 3
Yields about 18 cupcakes.
- 2 2/3 cups cake flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin wells with muffin liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
In the large bowl of your stand mixer, on medium speed, beat the butter and orange rind together until light (about 3 minutes). Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Mix the orange juice and evaporated milk together (I like to use a large measuring cup). Set aside.
Add the 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix to combine. Add 1/2 of the orange juice mixture, mixing to combine. Add another third of the flour mixture, mixing to combine. Add the remainder of the orange juice mixture, again mixing to combine. Finally, add the last of the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with each addition of ingredients.
Fill muffin wells 2/3 full and bake for about 13 – 16 minutes – until golden and a cake tester inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean.
. . .
Cream Cheese Frosting {White Swan Frosting}
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use imitation clear if you want a lighter coloured frosting)
- 2-3 cups sifted icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Place the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer, and mix at medium speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture should be very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add about 2 cups of the icing sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix on low speed (to avoid icing sugar clouds in your kitchen) and then increase the speed to medium, mixing until the frosting has a smooth consistency. Add more icing sugar – just a little at at time – until you get your desired consistency – this will also change the sweetness of the frosting.
Spread over top of cupcakes or a cake.
:))))))))) xo
cutest cupcake topper i’ve ever seen!!
Why, thank you!!
Love these black and white cupcakes! And now I know what Swan Lake was about 🙂
Thanks a lot Movita! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear the end of the story and now you’ve ruined my entire frigging day! So depressed and can’t even have a cupcake… *sob*
But they are in swan heaven! Probably munching on roots and tubers, layin’ eggs and stuff. Don’t you worry your pretty little head, okay? Now, go eat a cupcake…
Cute cupcakes, and you’re so funny!! 🙂
Best. Ballet. EVER. You are now officially in charge of all ballet stories and have been officially voted in as director at the Snoop Dog School of Ballet and Dancing Stuff. Mazel tov!
I love the way you tell this story! Now I want to hear your version of Giselle. That cupcake recipe looks delish!
I’m on it…
Are there cupcakes for every ballet??
Well, there are baked goods for every ballet.
You’ll see…
Ah well — at least their spirits get together in heaven (I am in a romantic mood lately).
they are gorgeous and I love the cake topper you found!
Thanks for finishing up the story because, quite frankly, I was too lazy last night to look up how it ended.
Dude, that’s what I’m here for.
Cupcakes to cure depression…now if you could just make a cupcake in the form of a little capsule for all of those people who are addicted to taking meds…you’d be a gazillionare! 😉 I’ll help you!
I love the look of the Black Swan Cupcakes, but I’m just freakishly anal enough not to want the frosting to make my mouth and teeth black. Enter the White Swan Cupcakes…Perfect!
~ April
I know the story and I couldn’t wait to see how YOU ended it! You always make me smile/laugh/hungry/drool/go bake yummy things – thanks!
I once watched ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the ballet on ice. I suppose it wasn’t technically ballet more than really intricate figure skating but it was to the ballet music. And the ballet and ice fights with swords managed to be both the most flamboyant and the most dangerous looking thing I have ever ever seen.
it all clicked for me when i saw the black swan cupcakes: black swan = all black photo shoot. but i know the story, so i know (smart!) there’s a white swan too. which means, white swan counterpart cupcakes. which means…all white photo shoot.
i dread those. i can’t get them right. like, ever.
but you TOTALLY NAILED THE ALL WHITE PHOTO SHOOT. the whole thing looks absolutely perfect. now i’m going to sit and wait for you to tell me how to make my plastic ballerinas into something way more awesome than they already are.
I totally didn’t know the Swan Lake story and I must say that it’s quite dramatic and scary…do kids go to see that play??? Anyway, these cupcakes and the photos are absolutely gorgeous. And your version of Swan Lake was riveting 🙂 Let me know when your bake shop opens…i’ll be there! 😉
Love that I can come to your blog and read a bedtime story… A really good bedtime story. These cupcakes are beautiful, and I love how you artfully placed the feathers around the cupcakes- very chic. Love the toppers!
Thanks, Jennie! I’m all about a good nighty-night story… especially one that involves jumping into a lake…
Ok – finally something I can work with. Now I will be a little more educated when this comes up in conversation at the next dinner party I’m at…. because I go to so many- yeah right.
yummy black and white cupcakes. What a juxtaposition. (I like to throw that word around at the dinner parties too.)
Actually, I believe that I exist in juxtaposition with cocktail parties. Side by side with contrasting effect? Yup. That sounds about right.
So happy to have found your blog! Your photography is stunning and I can’t wait to poke around a bit more 🙂
Thanks so much!
You must tell the very best bedtime stories. You sure do make the most delectable cupcakes. I think you must be any kid’s dream, Movita! Today’s version of the sugar plum fairy.
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These are so beautiful!!! It’s like she’s dancing in the snow! And who could resist delicious cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting? Not me!
Thanks for your note on The Fig Tree today 🙂
These cupcakes are lovely! Awesome story telling too! I saw Swan Lake ballet as a kid. I enjoyed it a lot. But I remember my much younger sister laughing the whole time at boys in tights. *hah* So unsophisticated for a 6 year old (at the time). Beautiful photos!
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Odile reminds me of my French exchange student, who basically slutted it up with all the guys at my school who I had crushes on. I wanted to push her into the lake and drown her, but I wasn’t old enough to drive, and my mom would have caught on if–instead of asking her to take us to the mall– I had asked her to drive us to “a body of water” and to “come pick us up later.”
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The Cupcakes are beautiful!
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Have to say that I love the transformation of your column. There is nothing amiss with a bit of culture complementing your contribution to foodie-mania, or a lot of culture for that matter. You are welcome to cop a sit in the padded rocking chair next to the roaring fire, and share your stories with us anytime, Rachael.
Doug, you just made my day. And the padded chair sounds rather inviting…
Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in August 2012.