Chocolate Orange Spice Cupcakes Recipe & Video Tutorial

chocolate orange spice cupcake baked by lisa maliga

By Lisa Maliga
Copyright 2017-2018

This type of cupcake is appealing to those who love a strong citrusy spicy combination. If you're looking for an autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas treat, here's a winning flavor. 

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped [Green & Black’s Maya Gold] [3 oz.] 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 3/4 cup hot water 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil [3 oz] 2 eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons [fresh] lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla

Makes 12 cupcakes

Oven temperature: 350 Fahrenheit/177 Celsius

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot water over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate mixture for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The rack should be in the center. Line a standard-size muffin pan with liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly.

Whisk the virgin coconut oil, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate. Add the flour mixture and mix until smooth. DON’T OVERMIX!

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 - 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then remove the cupcakes from the pan and place on the wire rack to cool completely.

ORANGE SPICE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup [6 oz.] unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar [confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar] 3 Tablespoons heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 ½ teaspoons orange extract 12 drops orange color

FROSTING DIRECTIONS: 

Beat softened butter on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes until completely smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and spices with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 1 minute.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Green & Black’s Maya Gold chocolate has a spicy orange flavor that pairs beautifully with this frosting. I used it once before as I’d run out of regular dark chocolate and was impressed with the way the flavor came out in the cupcakes even a day after they’d been baked. If you can’t use this particular brand/type of chocolate, that’s okay, use whatever’s available to you. However, if you want it to have an orange spice flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon orange extract and about 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin or apple spice blend to your cupcake batter.

* make your own pumpkin spice blend

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Amazon Kindle link: Baking Chocolate Cupcakes and Brownies: A Beginner's Guide

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