I’m hosting a baby shower tomorrow for a sweet friend and one of the treats I’m making is Creamsicle Cupcakes. I’m making a vanilla bean cupcake, filling them with orange curd and then topping them with orange buttercream.
One of my favorite things to make is Lemon Curd. It’s a fun process and the end result couldn’t be more rewarding. We still have a few oranges high up on our tree, so I couldn’t think of a better use for them then making a batch of orange curd. I based my orange curd recipe on my favorite lemon curd recipe (Martha’s). This curd is not as zippy as lemon, but is bright and citrusy and a fun new twist.
Orange Curd
8 egg yolks
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 stick of cold butter cubed(1/4 cup)
orange gel food coloring (optional)
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, egg yolks, zest and juice. Mix until smooth with a wire whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook stirring constantly for about 8-10 mins. When the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, then you know it is done. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it is melted. Then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps and the big pieces of zest. Pour into canning jars, seal and store in the fridge.
Because orange juice doesn’t give a really bright orange color, you may want to add a tiny bit of orange gel food coloring to the mixture with the butter. But, this is totally optional.
I hope you all have a great weekend. Take some time to make something homemade and from scratch this weekend. You’ll feel totally productive and your family and friends will be pleased.
Sounds really good. What else do you use your citrus curds for besides filling cupcakes?
Responding to above comment….you eat it by the spoonfuls!!!! Yumm haven't had orange definitely sounds like a winner……….Linda M