Easy Orange Almond Cupcakes W Dk Chocolate Icing Food

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Begin by preheating oven to 350°F / 175°C. Place 12 cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
• Sift 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl and set aside.
• In a separate, large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp orange emulsion or extract. Mix until combined.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a whisk or rubber spatula just until the batter in smooth.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for about 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• While the cupcakes cool, make the orange chocolate buttercream. Beat 1/4 cup of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Mix in 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest, 1 tsp orange emulsion or extract, and 1/4 tsp salt on a low speed.
• Slowly mix in 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder, and 3 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.
• Mix in 1/4 cup of cooled, melted dark chocolate.
• Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
• Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Place into a large piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.
• If desired, remove the center of each cupcake with a small knife and fill with 1 Tbsp of orange marmalade.
• Pipe a rosette on top of the marmalade with the orange chocolate buttercream using a Wilton 1M piping tip.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest and an orange peel spiral.

EASY ORANGE ALMOND CUPCAKES W/ DK CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• CUPCAKES Combine 1st 8 ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes fold in almonds and mandarin oranges.
• Pour into Pam-sprayed cupcake papers (in a cupcake pan).
• Bake at 375, according to directions, mine took about 20 minutes. Let cool totally. Frost with Dark Chocolate Frosting.
• DARK CHOCOLATE FROSTING In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency
• Spread or Pipe onto cupcakes. I also put a orange candy slice on top if I want to add a wow factor.

ORANGE-ALMOND CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in top position. Line 18 muffin-pan cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and 1/3 cup marmalade until pale yellow and fluffy, 4 minutes. In a food processor, process almonds until finely ground. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and process until almonds are completely incorporated into flour mixture.
• With mixer on low, beat eggs, one at a time, into butter mixture, scraping down bowl after each addition. Add buttermilk and flour mixture each in three additions, scraping down bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Fill each muffin cup with cup batter. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks. Top each with a dollop whipped cream and evenly drizzle with 1/3 cup marmalade.

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.

ALMOND CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE ICING

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the flour, the almonds, the baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream together the shortening and the granulated sugar, beat in the egg and the almond extract, and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the water, beating well after each addition. Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined 1/2-cup muffin tins and bake the cupcakes in the middle of a preheated 350°:F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Turn the cupcakes out onto a rack and let them cool completely.
• In another bowl beat together the confectioners' sugar, the butter, the zest, and the juice, beating until the icing is fluffy, and spread the icing on the cupcakes.

CITRUS CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 12-cup or two 6-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. For the frosting: Put the chocolate chips and shortening in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on high, stirring halfway between cooking time, until the chocolate is melted, 40 to 50 seconds. Stir until smooth. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the melted chocolate, orange juice, vanilla and salt until blended. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Makes 2 cups. For the cupcakes: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the sour cream, zest and juice until blended. Add the flour mixture on low speed and beat until just blended. Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let cool completely on the rack. To assemble: With a small metal spatula, spread the frosting over the tops of the cooled cupcakes. Use assorted fruit and candies to decorate the cupcakes.
• Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes cooling time)

ORANGE-ALMOND CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) in strips from oranges. Coarsely chop enough peel to measure 1/2 cup. Combine flour, 1 cup almonds, baking powder and salt in processor; blend until finely ground. Transfer to medium bowl. Place 2 cups sugar and orange peel in processor; blend until peel is finely minced.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until blended. Add sugar mixture and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix milk and both extracts in small bowl. On low speed, beat flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Boil 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice and remaining generous 1 tablespoon sugar in small saucepan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Brush warm juice mixture over tops of cooled cakes.
• Place 1 cake layer, orange syrup side up, on cake platter. Spread 1 cup Chocolate Icing over. Top with second cake layer, then 1 cup icing. Top with third cake layer, syrup side up. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.) Arrange additional almonds, orange triangles and mint leaves around top edge of cake. Slice cake and serve.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.

ORANGE & ALMOND CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Line 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with muffin cases. Put the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and blend with an electric hand whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Add the flour, almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Mix again, then add the orange zest and juice, and almond extract. Give a final mix to combine everything.
• Use 2 dessertspoons to divide the mixture between the cases. Bake for 22-25 mins, changing the tins over after 15 mins. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 10 mins in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Can now be frozen for up to 3 months.
• To make the icing, tip the butter into a large bowl and blend with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the icing sugar, cream cheese, almond extract and orange juice. Mash everything together first with a spatula (to avoid a mess), then go in with the electric whisk and mix until smooth. Add your food colouring and mix again until you have an even colour. (If you're using liquid food colouring, it will make the icing runny, so add a little more icing sugar.)
• Fit the piping bag with a large curved star point piping nozzle, then fill the bag with half of the icing and twist the end closed. To pipe, hold the piping bag directly above the centre of the cake and, applying a steady pressure, pipe in a swirl, working out towards the edge of the cupcake. When you reach the edge, swipe the nozzle to create a smooth finish - you can always cover this bit with leaves, so don't worry too much if it looks messy. When you have piped 12 cupcakes, empty any remaining icing from the bag back into the bowl with the reserved icing. Add a little more colouring to create a deeper shade (and a little extra sifted icing sugar if the icing gets too runny). Whisk again, then refill your piping bag and ice the remaining cakes. Can be stored somewhere cool for up to 1 day (the fridge is fine, just make sure that you remove 30 mins before eating).
• Before serving, add a few leaves, if you like: pinch off small pieces of green sugar paste or fondant icing and shape into leaves. Use a sharp knife to add detail, then stick onto the cupcakes. See tips, below left, for how to build your bouquet.