How To: Chocolate Orange Oreo Cupcakes

Hi Nibblers!

        I was flipping through the supermarket catalogues looking for a bargain when I stumbled across Oreo Orange Scream biscuits - a Halloween special. Recipe ideas came rushing through me and I thought I would do what I do best, cupcakes. These cupcakes turned out amazing. It had the perfect balance between chocolate and orange flavours at the base then paired with an Oreo orange buttercream gave the cherry on top. I love the look of these cupcakes and so happy with how they turned out. They tasted exactly how I had planned. It's a shame the Oreo Orange Scream are only around during Halloween (as far as I know) because these cupcakes would work all year around for those citrus lovers. Definitely a recipe to impress. So, if you're interested, keep reading on!

How To: Chocolate Orange Oreo Cupcakes
Yields approximately 12-16 cupcakes                       Takes approx. 1 hour including cooling process

What you'll need:
For cupcake base:
- 1 cup or 180g self-raising flour 
- 2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1/2 cup or 80g of cocoa powder
- 50g butter (softened to room temperature)
- 3/4 cup or 150g of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50ml of milk
- 3/4 tsp. Vanilla Essence
- 1 large orange - blitzed (skinned and pitted - try to remove as much of the white skin as possible otherwise your cupcakes may taste bitter) - keep 1/4 cup of orange juices aside for buttercream
- 1 Tbs. orange zest (finely chopped)
For Orange Oreo Buttercream:
- 250g unsalted butter softened
- 3 Tbs. of icing sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence
- 150g roughly crushed Oreo Orange Scream Biscuits - plus an extra 80g for cupcake toppers (optional)
- 1/4 cup of orange juice (set aside earlier on)
- 1 tsp. orange zest (finely chopped)
- 2 drops of orange food colouring or 2 drops of red and yellow food colouring each to form orange

How To:

Bake me!

Cupcake Component:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Line tin with cupcake paper

3. Beat  softened butter, vanilla essence and white sugar using hand mixer in a large mixing bowl until well combined and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes)
4. Add eggs in one at a time until mixed

5. Add flour and baking powder into the butter/sugar mixture and mix until well combined

6. Add milk, orange zest  and orange juice into the mix until well incorporated.

7. Spoon cupcake mixture evenly, filling it 1/2 of the way up the cupcake liners

8. Pop into the oven for 16 minutes checking with a skewer at the end to see if it's cooked

9. Rest the cakes for at least 15 minutes before decorating

Orange Oreo Buttercream:

1. Beat butter until it changes from a yellow to off-white colour - approximately 7 minutes

Ready to decorate!

2. Add icing sugar continuously mixing until well combined

3. Add vanilla essence, orange juice, crushed Oreos and orange zest until well combined

4. Add orange food colouring until desired shade then it's time to decorate!

                 Note: If you have leftover buttercream frosting, don't worry! You can pop it into the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container or up to 3 months in the freezer.

   Nom Nom! I hope you all enjoyed this recipe and re-create it for yourselves before the Orange Oreos go walking out of supermarket doors! Do let me know how they turned out and leave a comment below if you do. Hope you all have a spook-tacular Halloween!

Nibble Away,

              Jo