Chocolate orange cupcakes recipe
These zesty chocolate orange cupcakes, topped with a swirl of buttercream and glossy chocolate curl, are the perfect bake for an afternoon treat or special occasion. Making your own chocolate curls is sure to impress and is easier to do than you may think, why not give it a try?
See method- Serves 12
- 40 mins to prepare and 25 mins to cook, plus cooling and setting
- 517 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 125g butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 100g plain chocolate with orange, melted
- 125g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tbsp milk
For the decoration
- 100g plain chocolate with orange, melted
For the buttercream
- 200g butter, softened
- 400g icing sugar, sifted
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2160kJ 517.0kcal
- Fat
- 29g
- Saturates
- 17g
- Salt
- 0.2g
- Sugars
- 53g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 62.9gProtein 3.4gFibre 1.4g
Method
- Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C.
- Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well between each. Stir through the 100g melted chocolate. Fold in the flour until the mixture is smooth then stir through the milk.
- Put 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tin and divide the mix evenly between them. Bake for 25 mins or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the decoration. Put a large baking tray upside-down on a work surface. Pour over the melted chocolate. Spread very thinly with a palette knife.
- Once the chocolate is just set but not completely hard, carefully push a large, sharp knife into the surface, then push away from you at a 45° angle to form a curl. Warm the knife slightly if the curls are too brittle. Repeat to make 12-15.
- For the buttercream, use an electric whisk to beat the butter until smooth. Add 2 tbsp water and gradually whisk in the icing sugar, in small batches, until smooth and spreadable.
- Put the buttercream in a piping bag, snip a 1½cm hole in the end, then pipe a swirl on the top of each cake. Top with the chocolate curls.
- : The chocolate needs to still be slightly soft to create the curls. How hot the room is may affect how the chocolate sets so check regularly and pop in the fridge for just a few minutes if a very hot day.
- See more Chocolate recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze un-iced cakes only. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
