Chocolate-Orange Ganache Cupcakes with Blood Orange Frosting

Chocolate-Orange Ganache Cupcakes with Blood Orange Frosting

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter-room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure orange extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted) combined with

1 teaspoon orange essence

1/8 cup orange zest

**Optional-Chocolate Ganache  

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the buttermilk, eggs, orange zest and orange extract. Melt chocolate chips, and add orange essence. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the melted chocolate and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

 **I piped about a Hershey's sized dollop of chocolate Ganache into the center of the cupcake before I iced them. You can make this easily by melting 1/2  bag of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, 1/2 stick of butter, and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Mix over low heat constantly till its all dissolved. Remove from heat & use. It will harden within a few minutes, then ice you cupcakes after you frosting has had time to chill, and your cupcakes are completely cooled. I also topped mine with a bit of candied orange peel.

Blood Orange Frosting**frosts 24 cupcakes 

2 sticks unsalted Butter-at room temperature

3 cups Confection sugar

Zest from 2 Oranges

2 teaspoons Orange extract

2 teaspoons Orange essence

Food coloring (I combined the “rust” and Bright “yellow” to come up with the perfect shade of light tangerine orange. **Use a toothpick to add this to your frosting mixture. The other ingredients will already have given your icing a light orange hue, but use the food coloring to obtain the exact desired coloring.

Approx. ½  cup blood orange or tangerine juice (This is NOT exact and you will add this gradually to the above ingredients, and adjust to desired consistency.

Directions:

Begin by adding your butter, zest, extract and essence to your mixer, using the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until ingredients are combined. Reduce your speed to low, and begin to add confection sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Once all your sugar has been added, begin to add your orange or blood orange juice. When I make icing, it is never exact. I adjust by taste, texture, and how it looks. Add your food coloring at the end once you have the desired thickness. Chill for 30 minutes before you ice.

**Adapted from My Baking Addiction