Chocolate Orange Meringue Cupcakes Food

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES WITH DUFF'S SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners.
• Pass the cocoa powder, all-purpose and cake flours, baking soda and baking powder through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated and light brown sugars, orange zest and salt until thoroughly combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, water, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each by about two-thirds. Bake until set and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream and garnish with candied orange peel.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved and is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees F). When you touch the mixture, it should feel completely smooth and not at all gritty.
• Immediately transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On high speed, whip until glossy and stiff, about 15 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment and lower the speed to medium. Add the butter, piece by piece, incorporating each before adding more. Lower the speed further and mix until silky and smooth.
• Remove the tops and bottoms from the oranges. Cut away the skin, removing both the peel and the white part of the skin. Cut the skin into thin strips.
• Place the peels in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Drain and repeat the process two more times.
• In a large pan over medium heat, stir the sugar and 1 cup water together until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, add the peels and reduce to heat to low. Cook, swirling occasionally (no stirring!), until the peels are very soft and almost translucent, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Toss the peels in sanding sugar until completely covered, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE PINECONE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Pour over the cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and orange zest until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Place the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes. Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, cocoa powder and vanilla in a food processor and process until fluffy, 1 minute. Add the melted chocolate and process until smooth, 1 minute. Let sit at room temperature about 30 minutes to firm up.
• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes about 2 1/2 inches high. Starting at the bottom, stick in cereal squares at a 45-degree angle to cover the frosting.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Put the cocoa powder in a large bowl. Microwave the milk and water in a small microwave-safe bowl until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes; pour over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and orange zest into the cocoa mixture, then whisk in the flour mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the ganache: Microwave the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Let sit until thickened but still pourable, 5 minutes. Spoon over the cupcakes, gently spreading to cover. Let set 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 8 minutes. Tint with orange food coloring. Generously spread the meringue on the cupcakes and lightly brown with a kitchen torch.

ORANGE MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Put the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the sugar and orange zest and pulse a few times to combine evenly. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some pea-size bits of butter.
• Whisk together the milk, vanilla and eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout. With the food processor running, pour in the milk mixture and process until smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, orange juice and zest, cream of tartar and salt in a medium heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and beat, using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak, about 7 minutes.
• Generously pipe or spoon the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with orange zest.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan or two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners; lightly spray the liners with cooking spray. Soak the prunes in a bowl with 3/4 cup hot water until softened, about 10 minutes. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth.
• Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the prune puree, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, vegetable oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined (it's fine if there are a few lumps).
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes for standard-size cupcakes, or 12 to 14 minutes for minis. Transfer to a rack and let cool in the pan, 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan. Transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Sift in the cocoa powder and add the vanilla and orange zest; beat to combine. Spread the frosting on the cupcakes.

RED VELVET MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and egg together in medium bowl.
• Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a bowl comfortably without touching the water. Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, salt and egg whites in the bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the water and whip with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak, about 7 minutes.
• Spoon or pipe the frosting decoratively and generously on the cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the sugar, flour, cocoa, pinch of salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the dark chocolate and orange zest. Put 12 cupcake cases in a 12-hole tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in 2 tbsp hot water to loosen and fold in the orange zest. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of orange food colouring to one bowl and stir until the icing turns bright orange. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk, then beat until combined.
• Fill one side of a piping bag (use one with a large round nozzle) with the orange icing, then fill the other side with the chocolate buttercream. Pipe on top of each cupcake. Decorate with some extra orange zest and a grating of dark chocolate.