Chocolate Orange Cupcakes With Duffs Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Put the cocoa powder in a large bowl. Microwave the milk and water in a small microwave-safe bowl until steaming, 1 to 2 minutes; pour over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Whisk the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and orange zest into the cocoa mixture, then whisk in the flour mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the ganache: Microwave the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Let sit until thickened but still pourable, 5 minutes. Spoon over the cupcakes, gently spreading to cover. Let set 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 8 minutes. Tint with orange food coloring. Generously spread the meringue on the cupcakes and lightly brown with a kitchen torch.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard cupcake cups with paper liners. Set aside.
• In a medium grease free bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks with an electric mixer. Slowly add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with same mixer (no need to wash beaters) until combined (about 1 minute). Fold egg whites into the batter being careful not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon mixture, a little over half full, into each cupcake cup liner. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make Buttercream: Place water and sugars in a small saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes. Sugar will be dissolved. Whip egg whites in a stand mixer (make sure bowl is grease free) to stiff peaks. Slowly add hot sugar syrup to egg whites and continue beating on high speed until bowl is cool to the touch about 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter a piece at a time and mix completely before adding the next piece of butter. Repeat until all butter has been used. Add confectioners' sugar. Mix to combine. Add orange liqueur and 2 teaspoons of zest. Mix to combine. Frosting will be smooth and creamy.
• Generously frost cupcakes with a piping bag or spatula and top with coarsely grated orange zest.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with 15 cupcake liners.
• Add the vanilla seeds to the milk and set aside.
• Pass the flour and baking powder through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Whisk in the salt and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs, beating until combined. Gently add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the moscato.
• Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each by two-thirds. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes in a rose pattern, dust with white luster, and finish with an edible pearl.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of stand mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved and is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees F). When you touch the mixture, it should feel completely smooth and not at all gritty.
• Immediately transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On high speed, whip until glossy and stiff, about 15 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment and lower the speed to medium. Add the butter, piece by piece, incorporating each before adding more. Lower the speed further and mix until silky and smooth.