Chocolate orange cupcakes

 

Chocolate and Orange Cupcakes

 

Cake ingredients:

125g Butter unsalted, softened

250g golden caster sugar

zest of 3 oranges and juice of one orange

4 egg yolks

75g pure cocoa powder

325g plain flour

1tsp salt

250ml plain yogurt

1tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1tsp White Wine Vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180.C (fan 160.C)/350.F/gas mark 4. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, or a free-standing mixer.
3. Once the butter and sugar mixture is pale, light and fluffy, add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until everything is combined.
4. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder into a separate bowl.
5. Add the yogurt to the butter and sugar mixture, a third at a time, alternating with the flour.
6. Add the orange juice to loosen the mixture and beat to combine.
7. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the vinegar and very quickly blend into the batter. Then, with your mixer on high, beat everything together on a high speed for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth, glossy batter.
8. Divide the mixture between the 24 muffin cases. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cupcake centre comes out clean.
9. Cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting ingredients:

250ml milk

3 tbsp plain flour

1 pinch salt

100g milk chocolate

125g plain chocolate

200g unsalted butter, softened

300g icing sugar

zest of 2 oranges

Frosting method:

1. Put the milk, flour and salt in a small saucepan  and whisk together. Put the pan on a medium heat and keep whisking until the misture boils and thickens (about 1–2 minutes after it first boils). Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool completely.
2. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the butter, sugar together until fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate followed by the milk mixture and beat together until smooth, then spoon into a piping bag with a star tube.
4. Pipe on to the cupcakes and decorate if you want to (I used a square of plain chocolate and a little jelly orange segment)