Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

December 1, 2012 by Mpressive Threadz 2 Comments

I love spices and cardamom is one of my favorites.  The aroma of cardamom is so intoxicating!  One day I had a craving for cake and ice cream and made a microwave chocolate cake in a cup, throwing in a pinch of cardamom. YUM!

Today I wondered what a cupcake would taste like using the same flavor profile.  I sprinkled chopped pistachio nuts on frosted cupcakes.  DELISH!

Below is my recipe for Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  Click here for the PDF file.

ENJOY!

Cupcakes:

The batter yields between 9 – 12 cupcakes.

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cake flour

2 tablespoon cocoa powder

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup buttermilk

¼ cup orange juice

1 teaspoon McCormick orange peel

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (fruity)

2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon orange extract

• Preheat oven to 350°.  Position oven rack to the middle of the oven.
• Put cupcake liners in cupcake baking pan.
• Sift together flours, cocoa powder, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Set the flour mixture aside.
• Mix together buttermilk, orange juice and orange peel in a cup.  Set the milk mixture aside.
• Beat olive oil, butter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add egg and orange extract to the mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and silky looking.
• Add ½ of the flour mixture and ½ of the milk mixture to the mixing bowl.  Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add remaining flour and milk mixtures to the mixing bowl.  Beat on medium speed for ½ minute. Remove beater(s) and scrape batter from beater(s) into mixing bowl.  Scrape down sides of the bowl.  Stir batter a few times with spatula to incorporate any streaks of flour.
• Fill cupcake liners half full, which is a scant ¼ cup.
• Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven.
• Let cupcakes sit for about 5 minutes then remove from pan.  Cool cupcakes completely before frosting them.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

4 ounces of butter (room temperature)

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon orange extract

1 ¼ cups of confectioner’s sugar

¼ cup of cocoa powder

1 teaspoon orange juice

• Beat butter, olive oil and orange extract on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Add confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder and orange juice.  Start on low speed and beat for 1 minute until mixed well.  Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Beat on high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Frost cupcakes.

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