Chocolate Orange Cardamom Cupcakes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 30 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup vegan* or unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • zest of 2 oranges
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
  • ¾ cups natural cocoa powder
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 1½ tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • FOR THE ORANGE CURD:
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tbsp vegan or unsalted butter
  • FOR THE FROSTING:
  • ¾ cup vegan or unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¾ tsp cardamom
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
  1. TO MAKE THE ORANGE CURD: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk for 30 more seconds, and pour into a jar to cool completely in the fridge. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
  2. TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Put cupcake liners in a cupcake tin and set aside.
  3. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. Beat in 1 egg at a time. Add the orange zest and juice. The batter will look curdled at this point, but don't worry! It'll come together when you add the dry ingredients.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low, until just incorporated. With the mixer still on, slowly pour in the boiling water. Continue mixing until fully combined.
  5. Fill each cupcake liner ⅔ of the way. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cupcakes springs back when touched lightly with your finger. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  6. TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Begin mixing on low, so that the sugar gets incorporated into the butter. Then increase the speed to medium-high, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy.
  7. TO ASSEMBLE: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, scoop approximately 1 teaspoon out of the center of each cupcake. Fill it with orange curd. You can either spread frosting on each cupcake, or fill a piping bag and pipe the frosting onto each.
  8. Store covered tightly at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.
Notes
You can also make this recipe as a DOUBLE LAYER CAKE! Simply grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans, and increase the bake time by approximately 10 minutes. The cake is ready when the edges start pulling away from the pan and the top springs back when touched lightly. Also, if a toothpick inserted 1-inch from the edge of the cake comes out clean then you're good! To assemble the cake, pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the bottom layer, fill with curd, place the other layer on top, and finish frosting. Make sure to chill the cake and frosting if it's too warm.
*I like to use Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks.
Recipe by Lenses and Lentils at https://lensesandlentils.com/chocolate-orange-cardamom-cupcakes/