Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Hope 2010 is all that you hope for and more :) Well this is my first blog ever so please bear with me. I have been on a baking marathon over the festive season so I thought I'd share some of my creations.

First up chocolate orange cake with orange buttercream frosting which I made for a friend's New Year's Eve party. There's a special surprise in each of them which everyone enjoyed. I didn't take a photo of the cake when cut in half but I think you'll get the idea. I have to say it's not an original idea, it was an inspiration from an entry at the December Iron Cupcake challenge.

Gold chocolate coin as a special surprise in each cake

r

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Makes ~ 15 cakes

For the cupcakes:

115g good quality dark chocolate

90g unsalted butter, room temperature

175g golden caster sugar

75ml fresh orange juice

zest of 1 orange

2 large eggs

185g plain flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

For the orange buttercream frosting:

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature

3-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice

500g icing sugar, sifted

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160C (fan)/180C/350F/gas mark 4
• Line a 12 hole muffin tray
• Melt the chocolate over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs and beat again briefly.
• Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix the orange juice and milk in a jug.
• Add the chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. The batter will still be streaky. Add 1/3 of the flour mix and beat until it all just comes together. Add half of the juice/milk mix and beat again until the mixture just comes together. Repeat these steps until all the ingredients have been incorporated.
• Carefully spoon into the cupcake cases and bake for about 25 mins until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave the cakes in the tin for about 10 mins before cooling on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, beat together the butter, juice and half of the icing sugar until smooth. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy. You may need to add a few more drops of juice depending on the consistency of frosting required.
• Insert the gold coins into the cooled cupcake as shown. Decorate as desired. I piped the orange buttercream frosting using a round tip. I used Terry's chocolate orange slices and chocolate shavings to complete the look.