Orange Cupcakes

Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
225g self-raising flour
juice and finely chopped zest of 1 orange
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice, extra
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees and prepare 12 cupcake cases.
2. Combine the butter, caster sugar, eggs, self-raising flour, orange juice and zest and beat together until creamy.
3. Spoon the mixture evenly into 12 cupcake cases.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Mix together the icing sugar, orange juice and lemon juice.
7. Spoon the icing over the cakes and spread evenly to the edges with a knife.

Adapted from "Afternoon tea orange cake" in Stephanie Alexander. (1996). The cook's companion. Ringwood, Vic.: Penguin Books Australia.

M&M Mini Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my 30th Birthday party.

Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
100g dark chocolate, melted
3/4 cup cream
170g dark chocolate, chopped (extra)
M&Ms

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line a 24 mini cupcake tin with patty cases.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder over the mixture, then fold through until combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the patty cases so that each case is 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.
7. Place cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat then stir in the chopped dark chocolate. Leave to cool, then spread over each mini cupcake. Place an M&M in the centre of each cupcake to finish.

Adapted from "Double chocolate cupcakes" in Donna Hay. (2007). Simple essentials: chocolate. Pymble, N.S.W.: Harper Collins Publishers Australia.