Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Hello

안녕하세요 

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは 

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

I've not shared any baking with you since October, I did plan to post some in the run up to Christmas but things got way too busy and my blog ended up taking a back seat to get everything done. I wanted to bake us something quick and easy as a dessert for us after our Christmas dinner, but this recipe can be used all year round for any and every occasion.

Lets get baking!

Ingredients:

125 g butter, softened

125 g caster sugar

2 large eggs

100 g plain chocolate with orange, melted

125 g self-raising flour, sifted

1 tbsp milk

For Decoration:

Chocolate orange segments

For Buttercream:

200 g butter, softened

400 g icing sugar, sifted

Start off by pre-heating your oven to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas Mark 4, and placing your cupcake cases (12-15) into a muffin tin.

Start melting your chocolate, ready for it to be used in your cupcake mixture.

Next beat together the butter and sugar.

Next add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

Next stir through your 100 g melted chocolate.

Now fold in the flour until the mixture is smooth and then stir through the milk.

Now divide the mixture evenly between you cupcake cases, and bake for 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the buttercream, use an electric whisk to beat the butter until it's smooth.

Add 2 tbsp of water and gradually whisk in the icing sugar, in small batches, until smooth and spreadable.

Pop the buttercream into a piping bag, and pipe onto your cupcakes and decorate with a chocolate orange segment.

This recipe was really quick and easy to follow, although I did change some things from the original recipe, it was still really quick and easy. My buttercream was slightly runny when piping so I would next time try making it only using 1 tbsp of water and see if it makes the buttercream less runny to be able to pipe. I don't normally tend to like chocolate flavoured sponge, but I think with the melted chocolate it's miles better than when the recipe calls for cocoa powder, which I think can make the sponge a little dry. I'll definitely be making these again, they were very well received and tasted delicious, they can be made for any occasion, even if you just want some cupcakes in the house to snack on.

If you would like to check out the original recipe along with the original cupcake decoration, then you can check out Tesco's Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, part of their Real Food collections.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Baked Goods: Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Hello

An nyeoung

Konnichiwa

Ni hao

Welcome to my first baking post of 2016, I love making this cheesecake and it tastes divine, I first made this for Christmas Day at my sister's and it was pleasantly received with everyone who had a slice devouring it and commenting how tasty it was, I also made another for the very next day for a boxing day party we go to each year at our friends Kate and Dan's parents house and again it was well received, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

I used two recipe's when I made mine and if you would like to follow either of those recipe's I shall link them at the end.

I recently made it again for Valentines Day when I cooked myself and Andrew a 3 course meal with it being part of a trio of desserts so I need to apologise for that I didn't take pictures of the ingredients I used like I normally do.

Well lets get baking!

Ingredients:

600g digestive biscuits

300g unsalted butter

250g mascarpone cheese

250g Philadelphia cheese (Original)

85g icing sugar, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

2x 175g Terry's chocolate orange

300ml double cream

Terry's chocolate orange segments

150ml whipping or double cream (optional)

Lightly grease a loose bottom pie or flan tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

Start off by crushing the digestive biscuits to create your cheesecake biscuit base, depending on where I am, I use either a rolling pin and crush the biscuits in a bowl or the easier option is putting the biscuits in a blender and crushing them that way, once finished they will look like small crumbs.

Next put the butter in a pan and melt it to a liquid.

Once the butter is ready pour it into the biscuits a bit at a time and mix together till combined if you need to melt more butter till it mixes well and combines.

Next spread the biscuit base along the bottom and around the sides of the tin, I always use my hands when doing this as I feel I can flatten it properly. Once your happy with your base (you won't need to use all the base mixture) place it in the fridge till your ready for it again.

Next break both the Terry's chocolate orange and melt it over a bain-marie (pan of hot water with a bowl over the top with the chocolate in).

While your chocolate is melting in one bowl place both the mascarpone and Philadelphia cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract and mix together either with a whisk or hand mixer.

Once the chocolate has completely melted leave to cool slightly.

In another bowl place the 300ml double cream and with a hand mixer, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks.

Add the cream to the cheese mixture and fold together.

Next add the melted chocolate and fold it in again until combined.

Once the mixture is ready ladle the mixture onto your biscuit base and put back into the fridge to chill for either 6 hours or overnight.

Once your ready to use your cheesecake you can if deciding to use it whisk either your whipping cream or double cram till thick and forms stiff peaks, then with a piping bag decorate around the top of the cheesecake and place the Terry's chocolate orange segments on top of the cream, or you could do what I did and just placed a chocolate orange segment around the front of the slices being used. You could even just pour double cream over each slice if that's your preferred option.

For me this is a cheesecake that will never get old and it never lasts long in the fridge to go off as everyone enjoys it.

If you would like to follow the other recipe's I found then check them out below:

What Jessica Baked Next

Jane's Patisserie

Let me know if you create this delicious cheesecake and how well it was received in the comments below.

See you soon!

An nyeoung

Sayonara

Zai Jian

Bye