Orange Chocolate Dream Cupcakes

Did I say Dream? I meant Cream for the sour cream in this recipe! But they're my dream cupcakes. These are the most delicious, fluffy, light, and everything cupcakes. All the other cupcakes I've ever made seemed dry and dense and overly sweet in comparison. Slightly adapted from Lemon Cream Cupcakes.

Orange Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

3/4 cup sour cream

Frosting:

2 1/2 tbsp butter, softened (rest of the stick)

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar

zest of half an orange

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 to 2 tsp milk

Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and dark cocoa powder. In separate batches, add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix. Mix in the sour cream. Fill each cupcake liner with batter two-thirds to the top. I used silicon ones because they're usable. Save the environment! Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack before frosting.

While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Cream butter with sugar. Add the orange zest and vanilla. Whisk in the milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Spread on each cupcake and sprinkle with sugar. The frosting is very sweet and fragrant with orange zests, which balances out the smooth and dark chocolate cake. These cupcakes are very lightly frosted, and they're good this way. Very very good.

I can't wait to bake another batch. If you like orange, or chocolate, or chocolate oranges, you must try these!