Chocolate Orange cupcakes!

Who doesn't like chocolate orange? These cupcakes went down a treat!!

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

• 150g Unsalted Butter

• 150g caster Sugar

• 3 Large Free Range Eggs, beaten

• 120g Self Raising Flour

• 30g Cocoa Powder

• 2 tea spoons of orange flavouring!

Ingredients for the Buttercream Frosting:

• 150g Unsalted Butter

• 350g Icing Sugar

• 2 teaspoons of orange flavouring

• 1 chocolate orange

• Orange food colouring

Method- cupcakes:

1. First, pre-heat the over to around 160 degrees and put your cupcake cases into a cupcake baking tray.

2. Next, mix together together 150g of butter with 150g of caster sugar. I usually use an electric whisk for this but if you don't have one, make sure you soften the butter first.

3. Then add 3 large eggs to the mixture and continue to whist or mix until the mixture appears smooth.

4. Add in 120g of self raising flour in the same bowl as the wet ingredients as well as 30g of cocoa powder. Mix all of the ingredients together until all of it is smooth with no bits!!

5. Add 2 teaspoons of orange flavouring or essence.

6. Once the mixture is smooth, using a table spoon or an ice cream scoop, add the mixture EVENLY into the cupcake cases. The cakes will rise in the oven so you do not have to use all of the mixture if theres too much.

7. Place in the over for around 20 minutes. Do not open the oven until it has been 20 minutes! To see if they are ready, place a knife or a tooth pic into the centre. If it comes out clean then they are ready.

8. Finally, leave to cool on the side because you cannot apply butter icing if the cakes are still hot.

Method- butter icing

1. First, mix 150g of butter with 350g of icing sugar until it makes a soft consistency. If it looks too wet, continue to add more butter icing.

2. Then add 2 teaspoons of orange flavouring or essence and as much orange food colouring as you wish and continue to mix.

3. Have a taste to make sure it tastes delicious!!

4. Now it is time to be creative, you can just use a spoon to put the icing on however if you want to make it fancy you will need piping bags and piping nozzles. You can get these at ASDA or the ones I have are from Hobby Craft. You cut a hole at the end of the piping bag, insert the piping nozzle then scoop the mixture into the bag.

5. The best way to pipe is by stating at one side and doing a circular movement to achieve the perfect icing!

6. To decorate, add 1 chocolate orange segment to each cupcake.

7. If you want to be extra fancy, You can melt the remaining chocolate and sprinkle it on top of the cupcakes!!

Orange flavouring: https://groceries.asda.com/product/cake-decorations/asda-extra-special-valencian-orange-extract/1000011191249

Here is a link to the piping nozzles: https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/wilton-extra-large-deluxe-3-tip-set/638592-1000