Halloween Series: Chocolate Orange Halloween Cupcakes!

So, I thought I would do a spot of baking... another love of mine. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't as relaxing as I had originally intended... I had some issues! But you won't be seeing them so its all gooood! Haha

YOU WILL NEED

Ingredients for 12 cupcakes:
Dry-
210g caster sugar
105g soft brown sugar
255g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Wet-
70g unsalted butter
2.5 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest
240ml whole milk

Ingredients for icing:
350g icing sugar
150g unsalted butter
2 tbsp milk

( I would advise leaving the butter and eggs out over night )

Method

STEP ONE

Preheat oven to:
Fan- 170C (375F)
Conventional- 190C
Gas Mark- 5

STEP TWO

Beat the butter and sugars together in a bowl or food mixer until combined and light in colour.

STEP THREE

Add the eggs one at a time on a medium speed. Crack the third egg into a bowl a whisk it slightly and just add half.

STEP FOUR

Add the deliciously zingy orange zest into the mixture...

...and the vanilla extract!

STEP FIVE

Grab a separate bowl and a sieve. Pop the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the sieve...

...and sift them!

STEP SIX

Add this to the mixture gradually, alongside the milk...

...switching between the two.

STEP SEVEN

Your mixture should look a lil' summin' summin' like this...and should smell heavenly! (I know you're not supposed to have raw egg... but how can you not have a little taste eh?!)

STEP EIGHT

Pick up your baking tin which should be lined with some Halloween themed cupcake cases... and evenly distribute the mixture in to the cases until they are 2/3 full.

STEP NINE

Pop them in the oven for 18-20 minutes, keep an eye on them... you will know they are ready when a skewer or cocktail stick (once stuck into the cake) comes out clean. Once they are cooked, remove them from the baking tin thingy and put them on a wire rack to cool.

STEP TEN