Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

For my birthday two weeks ago, I was given a mini cupcake stand by my lovely friend, Jess and so I obviously had to whack out a cracking cupcake recipe to show it off. So, inspired by my favourite Festive treat, I decided to make some chocolate orange cupcakes. 
These are so tasty and beautifully orange-y and topped with light butter cream icing you feel like you're wafting on a cloud with a much lighter version of a Terry's Chocolate Orange. 
For the cakes you'll need:
175g self raising flour
175g caster sugar
175g soft butter/margarine
3 eggs
2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder (NOT drinking chocolate)
Zest of two oranges
4 teaspoons orange extract (I used Waitrose cooks essentials)
2-3 tablespoons of milk
Pre-heat the oven to 180oC.
Sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Using the all-in-one method, whisk all the ingredients together until they form a smooth batter, adding more milk if it seems a little thick. Taste to check the orange flavour- add more if you think it's needed.
Spoon the mixture into 24 lined muffin trays and bake for fifteen minutes or until they spring back when pushed with your finger.
Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the butter cream:
450g icing sugar
60g cocoa powder
zest of an orange
2 teaspoons orange extract
150g soft butter
60ml milk

Gradually whisk the icing sugar and cocoa into the butter until no lumps of butter remain. Add the orange zest and extract along with the milk and beat until light and fluffy.
I decided to pipe my frosting onto the cakes (mainly because I got a new nozzle) but I lost my piping bag so I used a large plastic sandwich bag. I cut a corner off the bag, put the nozzle through and away I went. Easy to use and no washing up required! 

I took some of these to work with me and my mum also took some with her and I now have none left so they must have been pretty good! 
Home-made Christmas gifts coming soon!!
Much love!!