Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes

In the beginning, cupcakes were sometimes called "number" cakes, because they were easy to remember by the measurements of ingredients it took to create them. Cupcakes were convenient because they cooked much quicker than larger cakes.

Everybody loves cupcakes, everybody know how to make cupcakes, so simply, so easy .. my first experience with cupcakes begin when I was confused what kind of cake that I can make for kids who will come to my daughter's birthday party. And than I decided to make a dozen of cupcakes.. ooh.. GOSH .. !! couldn't believe every kids loves it, and since then I always make cupcakes for kids.

Some of them I decorated with clown that I made with buttercream , see my daughter face when the first time she eat those .. ^__ ^

Ingredients :

3 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup hot water

1 1/4 cups plain flour (unbleached all-purpose flour)

1/2 tsp each baking soda and baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 orange

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

orange juice, from 1 orange - or you can use vanila extract too

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

For Frosting :

6 0z bittersweet chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners

In a small bowl, stir the cocoa powder into the hot water until it dissolves ; set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Grate the zest from the orange into the bowl, set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the buttermilk and orange juice the the dissolved cocoa. Whisk in the melted butter, then the dry ingredients.

Using a tablespoon, divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about half full. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the cupcakes from the pan.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, beat the butter and confectioners sugar with the paddle on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minute. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined. Fill a pastry bag fitted with 12 mm star tip with the frosting and pipe a spiral on top of each cupcake. Refrigerate the cupcakes until 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting.

Source : Williams-Sonoma