Chocolate Orange Cupcakes With Duffs Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipes

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Begin by preheating oven to 350°F / 175°C. Place 12 cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
• Sift 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl and set aside.
• In a separate, large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest, 1 tsp vinegar, and 1 tsp orange emulsion or extract. Mix until combined.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a whisk or rubber spatula just until the batter in smooth.
• Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for about 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• While the cupcakes cool, make the orange chocolate buttercream. Beat 1/4 cup of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Mix in 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest, 1 tsp orange emulsion or extract, and 1/4 tsp salt on a low speed.
• Slowly mix in 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder, and 3 Tbsp of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.
• Mix in 1/4 cup of cooled, melted dark chocolate.
• Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
• Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Place into a large piping bag fit with a Wilton 1M frosting tip.
• If desired, remove the center of each cupcake with a small knife and fill with 1 Tbsp of orange marmalade.
• Pipe a rosette on top of the marmalade with the orange chocolate buttercream using a Wilton 1M piping tip.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest and an orange peel spiral.

ORANGE CHIFFON CUPCAKES WITH MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard cupcake cups with paper liners. Set aside.
• In a medium grease free bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with same mixer (no need to wash beaters) until combined (about 1 minute). Fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon mixture, a little over half full, into each cupcake cup liner. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make Buttercream: Place water and sugars in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes. Sugar will be dissolved. Whip egg whites in a stand mixer (make sure bowl is grease free) to stiff peaks. Slowly add hot sugar syrup to egg whites and continue beating on high speed until bowl is cool to the touch about 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter a piece at a time and mix completely before adding the next piece of butter. Repeat until all butter has been used. Add confectioners' sugar. Mix to combine. Add orange liqueur and 2 teaspoons of zest. Mix to combine. Frosting will be smooth and creamy.
• Generously frost cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and top with coarsely grated orange zest.

MOSCATO CUPCAKES WITH DUFF'S SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with 15 cupcake liners.
• Add the vanilla seeds to the milk and set aside.
• Pass the flour and baking powder through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Whisk in the salt and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs, beating until combined. Gently add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the moscato.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each by two-thirds. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes in a rose pattern, dust with white luster, and finish with an edible pearl.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved and is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees F). When you touch the mixture, it should feel completely smooth and not at all gritty.
• Immediately transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On high speed, whip until glossy and stiff, about 15 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment and lower the speed to medium. Add the butter, piece by piece, incorporating each before adding more. Lower the speed further and mix until silky and smooth.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Put the cocoa powder in a large bowl. Microwave the milk and water in a small microwave-safe bowl until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes; pour over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and orange zest into the cocoa mixture, then whisk in the flour mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the ganache: Microwave the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Let sit until thickened but still pourable, 5 minutes. Spoon over the cupcakes, gently spreading to cover. Let set 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 8 minutes. Tint with orange food coloring. Generously spread the meringue on the cupcakes and lightly brown with a kitchen torch.

CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In medium glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites and sugar with whisk until blended. Set over pan of simmering water, beating occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and egg mixture reaches 160°F on candy thermometer, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Pour into bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed 2 to 3 minutes or until glossy peaks form and bowl has cooled to feel slightly warm. Still on high speed, slowly add 1 1/2 cups softened butter, one piece at a time, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until mixture is smooth, thick and shiny, 12 to 14 minutes. Beat in vanilla. If mixture separates, beat until smooth.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chopped chocolate uncovered on High 60 seconds, stirring halfway through microwave time. Continue to microwave in 10-second increments, until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Let stand 10 minutes. Beat cooled melted chocolate into frosting until smooth.
• Fill and frost 1 (8-inch) three-layer cake.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the sugar, flour, cocoa, pinch of salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the dark chocolate and orange zest. Put 12 cupcake cases in a 12-hole tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in 2 tbsp hot water to loosen and fold in the orange zest. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of orange food colouring to one bowl and stir until the icing turns bright orange. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk, then beat until combined.
• Fill one side of a piping bag (use one with a large round nozzle) with the orange icing, then fill the other side with the chocolate buttercream. Pipe on top of each cupcake. Decorate with some extra orange zest and a grating of dark chocolate.

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FOR CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.
• Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
• Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.
• Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl. Place over a pot of simmering water; whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. With an electric mixer, whisk on high speed until cool (test by touching bottom of bowl), 7 to 10 minutes.
• Change to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-high speed, add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until combined. Beat in chocolate.