I came across this recipe on ‘BakingBites.com’. They are delicious and different, they make a great change to the usual old chocolate cupcake. They taste just like Jaffa Cakes, hence my naming of them! I have made a few small changes to the original recipe, to get them ‘just right’ for my liking! These keep well for a good 4 or so days in an airtight box or tin.
Chocolate Orange Cupcakes: Makes 12
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown soft sugar (or light muscovado)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- zest and juice of of 3 small or 2 large oranges
- 1/2 cup sunflower oil
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- Preheat the oven to 180c, 350f, gas 4. place cake cases inside a 12 hole muffin tin.
- mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl excluding the orange zest.
- put the orange juice into a measuring jug, you need 160 ml or 2/3 cup of liquid altogether, top up the juice with water if necessary.
- whisk together the oil, zest, vanilla and orange juice/water.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients in the bowl and gently fold in as little as possible – only until the dry mixture is wet and there are no streaks of flour. DO NOT OVER MIX OR BEAT!
- Spoon into the cases and bake for about 18 minutes, but check after 15 as ovens do vary. the cakes are done when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out free of wet mixture – a few moist crumbs are ok.
- Take the cakes out of the pan and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Orange Icing:
- Mix about 300g icing sugar with the juice and zest of an orange – you can adjust the amount of sugar or liquid to get the consistency you prefer. it should be thickish but a little runny and spreadable.
- dollop a spoonful onto each cake and let it run to the edges, help it reach the sides if you need to.
- Decorate the cakes with chocolate shavings or other decorations.
- Leave to set then enjoy!
The iced cupcakes!
