Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes are perfect for Halloween parties and are the ultimate dessert for your Christmas gatherings. They're so soft and decadent, they can satisfy any chocolate craving. If you love rich, indulgent chocolate cupcakes that are bursting with flavor, be sure to check out these Nutella Cupcakes, Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, Mini Chocolate Lava Cakes, and this Spicy Chocolate Cake.

Ingredients and Notes

Orange Zest - These Chocolate Orange Cupcakes have a fresh orange taste due to using ingredients from real oranges instead of extracts. Depending on the size of your oranges, you'll need the zest from 2-4 oranges. I used naval oranges, but smaller oranges such as mandarins may need more more.

Cocoa Powder - Since we use both baking soda and baking powder in this simple cupcake recipe, either natural or dutch process cocoa powder will work. Cocoa powder is unsweetened, and is different from the sweetened powders used to make hot cocoa.

Orange Juice - You can juice the oranges that you zested, or you can use a store-bought orange juice. I've tested it both ways and find it much easier to use store-bought than to juice the oranges I zested, but both work! If you juice the oranges you zested, you may need additional orange juice to get enough for both the cupcake batter and the frosting. I highly recommend using a no-pulp orange juice to help ensure your cupcakes and frosting are silky smooth!

Orange Chocolate - It seems like the most well-known orange chocolate is a Terry's Chocolate Orange, however those are often only easy to find around the holidays, at least in the U.S., but Ghirardelli has a blood orange chocolate bar and Lindt makes an intense orange chocolate bar, both of which are available year round. All of these or any other orange flavored chocolate you can find should work! If using Terry's or a brand that has various flavor options, I would suggest a dark chocolate or a milk chocolate, not a white chocolate.

Substitutions and Variations

Orange Zest - In place of orange zest, a small amount of orange extract can be used. Extracts can be quite potent so be sure to add it slowly.

Orange Juice - Milk can replace the orange juice if needed. As long as you have the orange zest or orange extract your Chocolate Orange Cupcakes will still have an orange flavor. The orange juice just takes it up a notch!

Toppings - These simple, moist cupcakes are perfect just as they are, but for a pop of color they can be topped with a twist of orange peel, a candied orange peel, various sprinkles for holidays such as Christmas or Halloween, or even a drizzle of white chocolate or a fun color of candy melts! A small orange slice or even a slice of the chocolate orange or a square of the orange chocolate bar can also make for a delicious topping.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Beat together butter and sugar.

Step 2: Add eggs and orange zest and mix until combined.

Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and alternate adding dry ingredients and orange juice, starting and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing between each addition.

Step 4: Line a 12-hole muffin or cupcake pan with paper liners and fill each about ⅔ full with cupcake batter. Bake at 350℉ for 16-18 minutes. Cool completely.

Step 5: To make the ganache, chop the orange chocolate uniformly. Heat the heavy cream to hot, but not boiling. Pour the hot cream overtop of the chopped chocolate. Let sit for a couple minutes, then whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

Step 6: Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes into the ganache until well covered, then let the ganache set.

Step 7: For the frosting, beat the butter until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and beat until desired consistency. Add additional orange juice to thin the frosting or additional powdered sugar to thicken.

Step 8: Pipe or spread frosting on top of set ganache and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Tips & Tricks

Tip #1: When zesting an orange, only zest the orange peel. The white skin underneath will be bitter so you don't want to get that white layer in your cupcake batter!

Tip #2: Depending on which orange chocolate you use, the ganache may not come out completely smooth. Some brands of orange chocolate have small pieces in them for the orange flavor that don't melt, but it will still work great. The icing will cover the ganache so you won't see those pieces, and they are not noticeable when eating the Chocolate Orange Cupcakes.

Tip #3: Instead of dipping the tops of the cupcakes into the chocolate orange ganache, you can core the cupcakes and fill them with the ganache. I personally like them best with the tops dipped, but the filled version is delicious too!

Tip #4: Ensure the cupcakes are fully cooled before dipping into the ganache or the tops will break off. Also let the ganache cool a bit before dipping or spreading the ganache on top of the cupcakes.

Tip #5: To make these as mini Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, the bake time will need to be reduced quite a bit. Start checking them around 8-10 minutes in and keep an eye on them from there.

Storage Tips

• Chocolate Orange Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature unfrosted for about 4 days or frosted for about 2 days.
• They can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
• To freeze cupcakes, wrap each unfrosted cupcake individually in plastic wrap, then in foil and place wrapped cupcakes in a zip-top freezer bag. Bring to room temperature before adding ganache and frosting.
• The chocolate orange buttercream frosting is best made prior to serving, but can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Before frosting the cupcakes, let sit out of the fridge for about 30 minutes and beat again until smooth.
• The ganache is best made when you're ready to assemble the cupcakes.