Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes

This months Cupcake Hero ingredient is cocoa. Great choice, but Laurie dear, you are going to be covered in it by the end of this month! :) I really like the combination of orange and chocolate, so when I came across this recipe, I knew that this would be my cupcake entry this month. I can't wait to see the round up!

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

For the cupcakes:
1/2 Cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp buttermilk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp orange extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together cocoa and boiling water until smooth; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, salt and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, mix well. Stir together Baking soda and buttermilk; add to butter mixture alternately with the flour. Stir in orange zest, orange extract and cocoa mixture. Divide evenly into cupcake lined pan and bake 12-15 minutes, or until done. (I got 2 dozen cupcakes.)

For the Frosting:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
juice of 1 orange
4-6 Tbsp milk

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and vanilla until creamy. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those sound just lovely. I love orange and chocolate as well. Very nice.

Lisa Pogue said...

Me toooooo, I love, I mean LOVE orange and chocolate together. I wish I had everything tonight to make them, but I don't. Maybe later this week. Can't wait to try them, thanks.

CB said...

Omg. chocolate and orange! I bet they were incredible. Your frosting and presentation skillz are fabu. Great job!
Clara

Deborah said...

Chocolate and orange are a perfect combination. Great choice! They are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

The way you have the orange peel arranged is so energetic! These sound very comforting, a nice way to shake things up a little without alienating pickier guests.

Emily said...

How do you pipe your swirls on there so magnificently? I have tried...I can't.
Your cupcakes look superb.

joyh82 said...

Yum these look so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

marae said...

oooh those are beautiful!!! i love the presentation. i am making my hero next week...i love seeing everyone's entries..yay!!!

Sarah M said...

nice job! they look perfect, and delicious!

Jaime said...

great cupcake! i love orange and chocolate together...

Jeanine - The Baking Beauties said...

Oh, yummy, yummy!!! You have to tell me...how do you do your frosting on your cupcakes like that?? You could put that frosting on anything, and I'd eat it! LOL! Beautiful!

Deeba PAB said...

Congrats on being the Cupcake Hero April...loved your cupcakes & the combination is one of my favourites!! These are just so beautiful!!

Recetas al instante said...

great blog of sweets.
I really loved cupcakes.
olga.

Anonymous said...

I attempted these cupcakes and while the flavor was great, they were an utter failure as cupcakes. They just didn't stay together well enough to be eaten as cupcakes. The cake comes out too soft and fluffy. After the first batch didn't work, I made the rest of the batter in a parchment lined cake pan with much better results.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes

This months Cupcake Hero ingredient is cocoa. Great choice, but Laurie dear, you are going to be covered in it by the end of this month! :) I really like the combination of orange and chocolate, so when I came across this recipe, I knew that this would be my cupcake entry this month. I can't wait to see the round up!

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

For the cupcakes:
1/2 Cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp buttermilk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp orange extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together cocoa and boiling water until smooth; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, salt and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, mix well. Stir together Baking soda and buttermilk; add to butter mixture alternately with the flour. Stir in orange zest, orange extract and cocoa mixture. Divide evenly into cupcake lined pan and bake 12-15 minutes, or until done. (I got 2 dozen cupcakes.)

For the Frosting:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
juice of 1 orange
4-6 Tbsp milk

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and vanilla until creamy. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those sound just lovely. I love orange and chocolate as well. Very nice.

Lisa Pogue said...

Me toooooo, I love, I mean LOVE orange and chocolate together. I wish I had everything tonight to make them, but I don't. Maybe later this week. Can't wait to try them, thanks.

CB said...

Omg. chocolate and orange! I bet they were incredible. Your frosting and presentation skillz are fabu. Great job!
Clara

Deborah said...

Chocolate and orange are a perfect combination. Great choice! They are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

The way you have the orange peel arranged is so energetic! These sound very comforting, a nice way to shake things up a little without alienating pickier guests.

Emily said...

How do you pipe your swirls on there so magnificently? I have tried...I can't.
Your cupcakes look superb.

joyh82 said...

Yum these look so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

marae said...

oooh those are beautiful!!! i love the presentation. i am making my hero next week...i love seeing everyone's entries..yay!!!

Sarah M said...

nice job! they look perfect, and delicious!

Jaime said...

great cupcake! i love orange and chocolate together...

Jeanine - The Baking Beauties said...

Oh, yummy, yummy!!! You have to tell me...how do you do your frosting on your cupcakes like that?? You could put that frosting on anything, and I'd eat it! LOL! Beautiful!

Deeba PAB said...

Congrats on being the Cupcake Hero April...loved your cupcakes & the combination is one of my favourites!! These are just so beautiful!!

Recetas al instante said...

great blog of sweets.
I really loved cupcakes.
olga.

Anonymous said...

I attempted these cupcakes and while the flavor was great, they were an utter failure as cupcakes. They just didn't stay together well enough to be eaten as cupcakes. The cake comes out too soft and fluffy. After the first batch didn't work, I made the rest of the batter in a parchment lined cake pan with much better results.