food

Orange Monkey Cupcakes

These bright orange cupcakes reveal a gooey chocolate surprise when you bite into the center.

food

Orange Monkey Cupcakes

These bright orange cupcakes reveal a gooey chocolate surprise when you bite into the center.

Ingredients

  • 429g all-purpose flour
  • 265g caster (superfine) sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 375ml of orange juice (100% real orange juice)
  • 125ml vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp orange essence
  • 2 large eggs
  • chocolate sauce
  • orange sprinkles
  • 6 drops orange food gel
  • Frosting
  • 1 batch Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
  • 1 tsp orange essence
  • 6 drops orange food gel

Steps

  1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C (320F) or 180C (356F) for a conventional oven. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together).
  3. Add the softened butter and let it mix until it resembles a fine sandlike texture.
  4. Next, add orange juice, eggs, oil, orange food gel and orange essence in a large jug and whisk well.
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.
  6. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way (using an ice cream scoop to transfer the batter into the cupcake liners makes this a quick and easy process otherwise you can use two tablespoons).
  7. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
  8. To prepare frosting add orange food gel and orange essence to frosting and mix until well combined.
  9. Once baked and cooled core the centre and fill with chocolate sauce.
  10. Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip and frost in a swirl. Finish with sprinkles.