Homemade Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Last Sunday some of Sillas’ friends invited us to dinner and a quick card game. They had cooked some amazing meatballs that we had with fresh pasta and tomato sauce – yum, a great Sunday meal.

I had baked a batch of chocolate-orange cupcakes for dessert. I love chocolate and orange together, they just complement each other so well.

Here’s what to do –

Ingredients:

70g unsalted butter, softened

210g caster sugar

105g soft light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp finely grated orange jest

255g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

240ml whole milk

Frosting ingredients:

600g icing sugar

100g unsalted butter, softened

250g full fat cream cheese (or use Chocolate Philadelphia cream cheese, works great for this)

60g cocoa powder

3 tsp finely grated orange zest

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius

Cream together the butter and both types of sugar using a whisk until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and orange zest.
Sift together the remaining ingredients and add to the creamed mixture, in three batches along with the milk on a low setting with the whisk.
Once all the ingredients have been incorporated, mix on a medium speed.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. The mixture should make 12-16 cupcakes.
Allow the cupcakes to bake for 18-20 minutes and leave to cool when done.

Frosting:

Whisk the icing sugar and butter on a low speed using an electric whisk until crumbly with no large lumps of butter remaining.
Add the cream cheese and cocoa powder and mix on a medium speed until smooth.
If the mixture doesn’t come together and stays a bit, well sandy, add a tablespoon or two of milk and it should all come together.
Finally add the orange zest and stir in by hand. Decorate your cupcakes using a piping bag or palette knife.