Chocolate Cupcakes With A Chocolate Orange And Clove Infused Ganache Filling And A Chinese Spiced Tea Buttercream Recipes

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; set aside. In small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and orange peel. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third at a time, and cocoa mixture, about half at a time, beating just until blended.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until about two-thirds full.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In large bowl, mix butter and melted chocolate until blended. Stir in powdered sugar. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons orange juice until smooth. If necessary, beat in additional orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is spreadable. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.
• Cut each orange slice candy horizontally in half; cut each half equally into 6 pieces. Garnish each cupcake with 3 pieces of candy.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH GANACHE FILLING(ATK)

Steps:

• FOR GANACHE FILLING: Place chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.
• FOR CUPCAKES: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-size muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
• Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.
• TO FROST: Mound 2 to 3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• 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.
• Using the finest rasps of a hand held grater, 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 vanilla, then 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 in a double-boiler or in the microwave 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 minutes.
• Beat in the melted chocolate until combined.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch 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.

CREME-FILLED CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together orange juice, canola oil, vanilla, and orange zest.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners until each cup is 2/3 full.
• Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• For the filling, combine first 3 ingredients in the bowl of a standard mixer.
• Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
• With the mixer running, add 1 tablespoon orange juice at a time, until the desired buttercream consistency is reached.
• For the ganache, use a double boiler or microwave to melt chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
• Whisk in coconut oil until smooth.
• If making Candied Orange Peel, peel thin slices of orange peel from the orange using a vegetable peeler.
• In a small saucepot, place the orange peels and add ½ cup water.
• Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Drain the water, place the peels back in the pot, and refill with ½ cup water.
• Bring the water to a boil again, let cook for 5 minutes, and drain.
• Repeat this process one more time to release the bitterness from the orange peels.
• Bring ¼ sugar, ¼ cup of water, and the orange peels to a boil and let cook on medium/high heat until liquid bubbles away.
• Remove from heat, spread peels out to cool on parchment paper.
• Once the candied peels have semi-dried (about 10 minutes), roll them in the remaining sugar until thoroughly coated.
• Store in refrigerator or freezer.
• When cupcakes are cool, fill each with Orange Buttercream Filling using a pastry bag with a narrow tip.
• Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly over each cupcake.
• Top with two slices of Candied Orange Peel, if using.