These Chocolate Orange Cupcakes are incredibly delicious. These super soft orange chocolate cupcakes are filled with orange jam and topped with the most luscious chocolate orange frosting you’ll ever try. It's so smooth and soft and full of delicious flavor. This recipe is perfect for any chocolate orange lover.
2tablespoonzest of organic orangeabout 2-3 oranges
50gdutch processed cocoa powder
½teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
120gsour creamroom temperature
120gorange juiceroom temperature
75gvegetable oil
2large eggs room temperature
1 ½teaspoonvanilla extract
ORANGE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
160gorange dark chocolate
30gheavy cream
30gorange juice
290gpowdered sugar
2tablespoondutch processed cocoa powder
150gbuttercool room temperature
1 ½teaspoonvanilla extract
FILLING AND DECORATION
12teaspoonorange jam
1orange, sliced and cut in quarters
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKE
Preheat the oven at 160ºC conventional oven and line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, add all of the dry ingredients including the orange zest. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.
160 g all-purpose flour, 200 g granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon zest of organic orange, 50 g dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
120 g sour cream, 120 g orange juice, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 large eggs room temperature, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
Divide the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and bake them for 20-23 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the hot pan. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan and let them cool down completely.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM
Melt the orange dark chocolate. Then slowly add heavy cream and orange juice while stirring it into the melted chocolate. Stir it together until smooth. It should end up being around room temperature. Set it aside.
160 g orange dark chocolate, 30 g heavy cream, 30 g orange juice
Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and set it aside.
290 g powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon dutch processed cocoa powder
In your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter for 4 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 2 minutes more. Add the melted orange dark chocolate and mix it in until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix to make sure it’s fully incorporated with the butter.
150 g butter
Add the vanilla and the sifted powdered sugar/cocoa powder in 2 portions, mixing on low speed, until each addition is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 minutes on low speed.
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Take the bowl off the stand mixer and with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, beat it well by hand to make sure to remove the air bubbles in the buttercream.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a star piping tip, e.g. Wilton 8B.
ASSEMBLING
Using an end of a piping tip or similar, dig out the core of cupcakes, to make an indent for the orange jam. Add the orange jam in the middle of the cupcakes.
12 teaspoon orange jam
Pipe the buttercream on the cupcakes and decorate with fresh orange slices and the zest of an orange.