Chocolate Orange Cupcake

When Easter comes around, I like to think of what can do that isnt Easter eggs. I like to try and bake something that is chocolate based. Which is why this Easter I had a plan of making a chocolate orange cupcake. Sadly, I was little for Easter, but I still made the cakes non the less. Here is my own original recipe for Chocolate Orange Cupcake.

Ingredients

(Cupcakes)

175g Butter

175 Caster Sugar

145g Self-Raising Flour

35g Cocoa Powder

3 Eggs.

(Icing)

250g Butter

500g Icing Sugar

1tbs Orange Essence

Orange Food Gel

Method

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes, preheat the oven to 160 degrees for fan assisted or 180 for convection oven.

To start cream the butter and sugar together for about two minutes. You to make sure the butter is nice lightly beaten and mixed with the sugar. Once completed scrap down the bowl and then add in the eggs one at time.

Crack each egg into a small bowl and slightly beat then pour into the mixture. Repeat this for the next two eggs. When the eggs have been added turn the mixer to the highest speed for 30 seconds to fully combine everything.

In a sperate bowl and the cocoa to the flour, and then gently whisk through to make a chocolate flour mix. Once fully mixed put into the butter sugar egg mix, then mix on slow speed. As we do not want to create a dust cloud. As the mixture has been combined turn the mixture up to full speed for a minute to fully combine everything.

After everything has been mixed the divided the mixture into 12 cupcake cases. I use an ice cream scoop to get a ball of mixture and try to fill the cases two thirds of the way as we don’t want the cakes to overflow when baking. Then bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Check at 15 and then leave in if not fully bakes through.

While the cakes are baking let’s get on to make the icing.

Over the years I’ve I have learned how to make a lovely buttercream, there are two keys to have a success. One, make sure the butter is no longer cold from the fridge. I leave my butter out overnight, or all day to help get rid of its chill. Two, never cut short the icing sugar. If you don’t have a full box of icing sugar, make sure you do. No matter how much butter you use, make sure you double the amount of icing sugar.

As I have a stand mixer, I just leave the butter get beaten for 5-6 minutes on high speed. Since the butter is not longer cold it will just fall apart and loose its yellow look.

You want to add in the icing sugar in three stages. Also make sure you have sieved the sugar as will allow your icing to be less harsh to taste. Once again start the mixer on a slow speed then turn it up. Let it mix for about 2-3 and repeat for the remaining of the icing sugar.

Once you have nice mixture, add in the orange essence to give your mixture the orange taste. Then add in the orange full gel to colour your frosting an orange colour. Use a little bit at time and see how bright you want your frosting to get.

After the cakes are baked and cooled pipe the icing on top and decorate with a slice of Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

Results

Overall, I was very happy with the turn out of the cakes. The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was me not using my normal food gel, meaning the frosting didn’t come out as orange as I wanted too. However, overall, the cakes were received rather well, and had a nice balance of chocolate and orange.

If you decided to make these do leave me a comment and tell me how yours came out. I’ll see you in the next one whatever will come next.