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| Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes Makes 12 regular cupcakes 115g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature 175g caster sugar, preferably golden Grated zest and juice of 1 orange (you need 75ml of juice) 2 large eggs, free-range or organic 185g plain flour, sifted ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature To decorate: 1 batch of Chocolate Buttercream Icing (see below) Grated orange zest or sugar flowers Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan)/180°C/gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with the appropriate size cupcake cases.  In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, sugar and orange zest until the mixture is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs and beat again briefly. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix the milk and orange juice in a jug. Add the chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat on a low speed until the mixture is just combined. The batter will still be streaky. Add one-third 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 the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 28-30 minutes. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, ice the cupcakes with chocolate buttercream and decorate with a little orange zest or sugar flowers. Chocolate Buttercream Icing Makes enough to ice 15-20 regular or 60 mini cupcakes 175g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature 1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract 250g icing sugar, sifted Melt the chocolate in a bowl or plastic jug in the microwave until smooth and of a thick pouring consistency. A general guide would be to heat at 30-second intervals on medium, stirring in between, to avoid burning the chocolate. Alternatively melt the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until it has completely melted and is quite smooth. Leave to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth — this can take several minutes with an electric hand mixer. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy. If it looks too runny to use when trying to ice cupcakes or cakes, simply keep beating — this will thicken the icing and improve its consistency. From: Cupcakes by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas. Published by Simon & Schuster, rrp $29.99. 
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