Devil's Food with Orange Buttercream

This was my second attempt of making cupcakes. The result was a whole lot of delicious chocolatey cupcakes with an almost perfect frosting, accept it was a bit too sweet (the frosting). Saty has started work again after her long confinement. So I had the kitchen all to myself. She was a tad bit unhappy because she missed the frosting making part.

I made the cupcakes a day in advance. The cupcake recipe was adapted from the Divine Devil's Food Cupcake by Linjen, which I found on Recipezaar. Actually it was just a minute adjustment and the cupcakes tasted really good. The recipe for Orange Buttercream Icing was taken from Wilton Cupcake Fun. Here's the complete adapted recipe for my second trial of cupcake baking.

Ty's Food for The Devil Cupcakes

2 cups cake flour
2/3 cup Van Houten cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup light butter, softened
1/3 cup water
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees C. Line 24 regular size muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Mix flour, cocoa, salt baking powder and baking soda in large bowl. Combine buttermilk
and water in small bowl. Beat butter in another large bowl with mixer on medium high speed
until fluffy.

3. Add sugar and beat on until you don't feel nor see anymore sugar granules. Add eggs, one at a
time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla. Alternately add flour and buttermilk in 3
batches, beating just until blended. Spoon into cups, 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or
until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes and then remove to a rack
and cool completely.


Orange Buttercream Icing

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon Clear Vanilla Extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.) 1 teaspoon Sunquick Orange cordial
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Zest of 1 orange, grated
2 drops of Orange Oil
Orange Icing Color (optional)

1. Beat butter and shortening with electric mixer.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Gradually add sugar, one at a time, beating well on medium speed.

4. When all sugar has been mixed in, add buttermilk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

5. Stir in orange zest, orange cordial, orange oil and icing colour.

6. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes and add a few orange chocolate chips on top.