And now for the recipe. You may read about the saga of making these things here. These got pretty rave reviews all around, and are extra delicious if you put them in the microwave for about fifteen seconds before you eat them. Yum…one of my favorites.

Orange-Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Ganache Filling and Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

IMG_0746

The cupcake recipe was modified from Ina Garten’s Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake (the recipe for which I actually found on Smitten Kitchen).

1⁄2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1⁄4 cup grated orange zest (from 4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3⁄4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.
3. Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour.
4. Melt the chocolate and add into the orange batter.
5. Pour 2/3 full into the cupcake wrappers, smooth the top, and
bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

IMG_0736

Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
5 cups confectioner’s sugar
6 tablespoons Frangelico

Directions

1. Cream butter and shortening with mixer for 3 minutes on high speed.
2. Add Frangelico.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Mix on high speed for 5 minutes.

Frangelico

Nutella Ganache

8 ounces of Nutella
1⁄2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Melt the Nutella and heavy cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Assembly

1. After the cupcakes have had a chance to cool, scoop out the tops of the cupcakes with a mellon baller and cut off the “cone” part of the middle.
2. Drizzle in the Nutella ganache and replace the top of the cupcake.
3. Spread with the hazelnut frosting.
4. I decorated a few of them with leftover orange rind, but that’s optional.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)