Terry's Chocolate Orange Cupcakes (well kind of):

It doesn't need to be anywhere near Xmas to enjoy these beauties! Go on, be tempted!

70g butter, very soft

310g sugar: 200 caster, 110 soft light brown

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp finely grated orange zest

250g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

240ml whole milk

Oven: usual. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy and then add the eggs one by one fairly fast. Next add the vanilla and orange. Sieve in the dry ingredients in 3 goes, alternating with the milk until it all comes together and feels fairly dense but smooth, still. 

Bake for the usual time and top with a cream cheese frosting. Just add 60g cocoa powder along with the icing sugar. Also pour in 3 tsp zest and a dash of juice. Top with candied orange peel or orange jelly slices, but the peel definitely looks classier.