Description
Indulgent double chocolate orange cupcakes combine rich cocoa with zesty citrus notes, creating a luxurious dessert. Orange-infused chocolate ganache and delicate chocolate shavings elevate these cupcakes, promising pure delight for chocolate enthusiasts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ½ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large orange zest
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsps heavy cream (or milk)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp orange extract (or 1 tsp orange zest)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 oz melted dark chocolate, cooled slightly
- Chocolate shavings
- Orange zest curls
- Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, cocoa powder, leavening agents, and salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring a uniform, lump-free composition.
- Liquid Component Harmony: Whisk together sugars, oil, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest in a separate bowl until the mixture becomes smooth and well-integrated.
- Batter Creation: Delicately fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, minimizing stirring to maintain a tender crumb. Gently incorporate chocolate chips if desired, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Baking Preparation: Distribute batter into lined muffin tin, filling each cavity approximately two-thirds full to allow proper expansion during baking.
- Oven Transformation: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 18-20 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean-emerging toothpick test.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Remove cupcakes from oven and let rest briefly, then transfer to a cooling rack. Meanwhile, cream butter until fluffy, gradually adding powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and orange extract.
- Frosting Refinement: Incorporate melted chocolate and cream, blending until achieving a silky, spreadable consistency. Adjust texture with additional cream if needed.
- Decorative Finale: Pipe or spread frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes, garnishing with chocolate shavings, orange zest, or miniature chocolate chips for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry and wet ingredients to maintain a tender, light cupcake texture. Overmixing develops gluten, resulting in dense, tough cupcakes.
- Optimize Ingredient Temperature: Use room temperature eggs and dairy for smoother batter integration and more consistent rising during baking.
- Control Baking Precision: Check cupcakes slightly before recommended time to avoid overbaking. Use a toothpick test for perfect moisture – it should emerge with minimal crumbs.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend, replace eggs with flax eggs, and use dairy-free butter alternatives for accommodating different dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 289
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg