Mmmmm . . . cupcakes

In addition to the cupcake cookbook from Brad, I received a cupcake calendar from the TV for Christmas. Monday's recipe for Chocolate Orange Cupcakes sounded tasty and doable.

They turned out pretty well. I didn't have orange zest (or an orange to make zest from) but the recipe also called for orange extract and I think that made it plenty orange-y. And the recipe didn't specify salted or unsalted butter so I bought the salted and I honestly think I can taste it (or the TV just put that idea in my head when I called to ask her which I was supposed to use). Next time I'll use the unsalted.

The glaze, which is chocolate chips, cream and more orange extract, was really easy. Got to use my new double boiler for the second time ever. It's pretty nifty. Then I slapped some glaze on top of the cakes and put them in the refrigerator to let the glaze "set."

Obviously I did try one of the completed cakes. Not too much orange. Not too much chocolate. Kind of muffin-y texture more than moist cupcake-y. But it was pretty good. Chocolate chips didn't sink to the bottom. (That was a problem with last week's Smores cupcakes.) And the papers stuck to the sides of the cakes this time, so they can be picked up without worrying about the bottom dropping off.