Orange Chiffon Cupcakes with Orange Butter Icing 
...let me say that 1 more time...
Orange Chiffon Cupcakes with Orange Butter Icing 
My husband is watching the Super Bowl and the house is punctuated with occasional shouts of "TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!" I am in the kitchen baking Orange Chiffon Cupcakes. I am in housewife heaven. Chiffon is heaven, especially orange chiffon. I am not waxing poetic when I tell you that these Orange Chiffon Cupcakes are a dream come true!!!!!
Chiffon Cake itself was top secret until 1947, when General Mills bought the "secret recipe" from Harry Baker. This juicy little tidbit is from my favorite book cupcakes!
These cupcakes are not for the faint of heart. They were difficult and time consuming to bake. But I promise you, they are worth all of the love, sweat, and tears.

Orange Chiffon Cupcakes
Yield 12
325* for 30-35 minutes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
4 cage-free eggs, separated
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (grated orange peel - I used pure orange extract)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a large bowl, sift together flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a large spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the oil, egg YOLKS, water, orange zest, orange juice, and both vanilla and almond extracts. Beat until smooth and creamy and set aside.
In another bowl, beat egg WHITES and cream of tartar on medium speed until mixed, then beat on high speed until whites become shiny and smooth and stick to beaters - the beaters will cut a line through the whites. Slowly beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
Stir 1/3 of the egg-white mixture into the rest of the batter. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the rest of it in until blended completely.
Pour the batter into a pitcher or measuring cup with a lip - then pour into the cupcake tins. Fill to the top of the tin, about 1/2 a cup each. DO NOT USE PAPER LINERS - chiffon cupcakes like to rise up light and fluffy over the top of the tins. I greased my tins for easy removal.
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325*
Place 2 cans on top of a wire rack - when cupcakes are done baking, turn the cupcake tin upside down on the cans - this allows air to circulate so the cupcakes cool gently.

Allow to cool for about 45 minutes - Several of mine actually slipped out onto the rack while cooling!

In the meantime, make the Orange Butter Icing -
Stir together -
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
This icing is sooooooooo creamy and pretty I gobbled it up, yes, quite a bit :-)

Just gorgeous!
Spread a thin layer of icing on each cupcake and GLORIOUS HEAVENLY CHIFFON CREATION!

I LOVE THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!