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Special equipment: an 18-inch piping bag fitted with a round tip
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For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light in color and fluffy.
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Add the sugar and continue beating until uniformly incorporated into the butter; stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Restart the mixer on low speed and add the eggs one at a time, waiting until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
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Once all the eggs have been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to insure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
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Add the vanilla bean paste and orange zest and blend uniformly.
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Add the gluten-free baking mix in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, fully incorporating each addition before moving to the next.
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If needed, stop the mixer after each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on low.
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Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter and bake until the top of each cupcake is slightly springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.
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Immediately turn the cupcakes out of the pans onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
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For the orange mousse filling: In a saucepot, gently heat 1/2 cup of the orange juice concentrate and the sugar, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved.
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Refrigerate until chilled.
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In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons water with the remaining 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate; sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let the gelatin bloom and hydrate.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream on high speed to medium-firm peaks.
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Melt the bloomed gelatin in the microwave just until melted and clear, 15 to 20 seconds; do not overheat as this will kill the gelatin!
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Stir the gelatin into the chilled orange juice mixture until combined, and then pour the orange juice mixture into the whipped cream.
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Mix completely and refrigerate until ready to use.
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For the strawberry passion fruit Italian meringue buttercream: Put the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a heavy saucepan and heat over high heat until the sugar mixture registers 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.
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While the sugar is cooking, whip the egg whites on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer to the soft-peak stage (the whites will look foamy and white), being careful not to over-whip.
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(If the whites start to look clumpy, they've been over-whipped.
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If this happens, toss them out and start again.
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If the whites are beating faster than the sugar is cooking, turn down the mixer speed.
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You can always turn up the speed if you need to.)
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Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping.
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While the egg whites are whipping on medium speed, gently pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl.
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Turn the speed up to high and whip until the mixing bowl no longer feels warm to the touch, about 7 minutes.
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Turn the mixer speed back to medium, add the butter in small chunks and mix until completely incorporated.
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Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the strawberry and passion fruit purees.
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Turn the mixer back to medium-low speed and mix until the purees have been incorporated.
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Fit an 18-inch piping bag with a round tip and twist and hold the bag right by the tip to prevent the buttercream from leaking out.
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Fold the top of the piping bag over your hand and spoon the buttercream into the bag.
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To assemble: Use an apple corer or knife to core out the center of each cupcake.
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Fill each cupcake with some of the orange mousse filling, and frost the top of each with some of the strawberry passion fruit Italian meringue buttercream.
