Brownie cupcakes with Orange cream cheese frosting

I love a good brownie. Its rich, chewy and often crunchy from a bit of nuts. And you can combine it with so many things; ice cream, fruit, coulis, whipped cream or  a variation of mousses. And its easy to whip up a great brownie as well, so I have baked a lot of brownies over the years. But I had never baked brownie cupcakes.

So last weekend when I visited my best friend and her family, I thought that it was about time that I made a batch of brownie cupcakes.  I like the combination of orange and chocolate so I made orange cream cheese frosting as well. 

 

Ingredients: (for the cupcakes)

120 grams of chocolate

115 g of unsalted butter

250 g sugar

3 large eggs

100 g flour

1 vanilla bean

A pinch of salt

Ingredients (for frosting)

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cream cheese, cold

5 tbsp of orange juice

Food color

Method: (Cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

Melt chocolate and butter over a bain marie. When it has melted,let it cool for a few minutes.  Mix in the sugar and whisk thoroughly.

Add the vanilla and egg and whisk again. Finally add the flour and whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform in texture.

Fill your cupcake molds with batter, they should be 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before you decorate them with frosting.

Method: (frosting)

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Pour in the orange juice. Now add food color at this point. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes.

Spoon or pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of a cold cupcakes.