Dreamy Orange Cupcakes

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

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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