There's something so tasty about a subtle zesty orange flavour when combined with moist chocolate, and these incredibly decadent and delicious chocolate orange muffins do just that!
I also believe that anticipation is a big part of how you feel about a dish, so I really love how obvious it is what you're getting before you've even taken a bite. With colourful chocolate orange chips and a Terry's Chocolate Orange wedge on display you know exactly what kind of treat you're getting from the moment you set eyes on it.
A treat that's partly a rich, chocolate sponge dotted with chocolate orange buttons, partly a creamy chocolate orange buttercream frosting and finally a segment of Terry's chocolate orange as the proverbial cherry on top. Yum.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 175 g (6.2 oz) slightly salted butter
- 200 g (7.1 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 200 g (7.1 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 125 ml (4.2 floz) whole milk
- 40 g (1.4 oz) cocoa powder (dutch processed)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chocolate orange chips roughly chopped
For the frosting
- 600 g (1.3 lb) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 300 g (7.1 oz) slightly salted butter softened
- 4 tbsp hot water
- 50 g (6 tbsp) cocoa powder (dutch processed)
- 4 drops orange essence
- 70 g (2) Terry’s Chocolate Orange
Instructions
Make the sponges
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted).
Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat until fluffy.
Add the eggs.
Beat again.
Add the flour and cocoa powder.
Fold through.
Add the milk.
Stir through.
Add the chocolate orange buttons.
Fold through.
Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases, then divide the batter evenly between them.
Bake for about 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
Put the butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, hot water and orange essence in a large mixing bowl.
Beat until light and smooth - it's quickest to use an electric whisk.
Transfer into the piping bag with the nozzle in place and twist.
Putting it all together
Pipe the frosting on top of the 12 muffins in generous, rising swirls - sharing it all evenly.
Place one piece of the Terry's Chocolate Orange bar onto the top of the each of the muffins, pressing gently to help it stick to the frosting.
That's it!
Tempted?
Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for making the perfect chocolate orange muffins.
Are chocolate orange muffins easy to make?
While these muffins may look very colourful and especially decadent they are in practice no harder to make than your average muffin.
The muffin sponge is a simple chocolate sponge recipe which cooks in just 20 minutes. While your muffins cook, you can mix the frosting ingredients.
Then, to get beautiful looking frosting, you’ll use a piping bag with a star nozzle and spiral the frosting over the top of your cooked and cooled muffins. Or, if you don't have a piping bag, I have a guide for frosting cupcakes with a spoon which can help you get picture perfect muffins.
As usual, I’ve included clear step by step photos with each stage of the recipe. So if you’re ever unsure you can check the pictures to see if your muffins look right.
Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?
Nothing outside of what you would usually find in a standard kitchen is required, other than perhaps the piping bags and star nozzle, both of which are easily found in most supermarkets or online.
How can I tell if eggs have gone off?
It's always best to use fresh ingredients when baking, especially eggs. It’s important to use fresh eggs, as they behave differently as they get older. This is because eggs lose water content the older they get which means an older egg will produce different results. So not only is it safer to use fresh eggs, but it will improve the quality of your food.
If you aren't sure if your eggs are fresh, you can do a float test to check them. A float test involves placing your egg in a cup or bowl of water to see if it sinks or floats.
As I said, when an egg gets older, the water content evaporates through the shell and is replaced by gas. So fresh eggs will have very little gas inside the shell, making them more likely to sink. However, this isn't a foolproof test as bad eggs can still sink.
You should never eat an egg that looks, smells, feels or tastes odd in any way. So if your egg has any discolouration, odd appearance, or a strange or foul odour, it is most likely rotten.
So if you think your egg has spoiled, you should immediately throw it away and thoroughly wash any pots and utensils that have come into contact with it.
To ensure you don't contaminate a recipe with a rancid egg, it's best to crack your eggs into a separate bowl or cup first. This lets you check the egg for any broken shell fragments, but more importantly, it lets you check that the egg is safe to use.
To avoid your eggs spoiling, you should always follow the storage instructions on the egg packet. In the UK, it's recommended that eggs are kept consistently below 20C, which means it's best to keep them in the fridge at home.
Egg safety standards can vary depending on where you live, so storage and use advice can differ too.
So make sure you consult your local advice for the best way to keep your eggs as fresh and safe as possible.
Egg safety is crucial if you're cooking for someone in a vulnerable or at-risk group, such as older people, people living with health conditions, or a pregnant person.
A Mummy Too does not give medical advice. Please consult with your medical professional.
How can I tell if butter has gone off?
Butter will quickly spoil if it's kept somewhere warm or exposed. So you should only use butter stored correctly in the fridge.
When butter begins to spoil, it will turn a darker colour yellow. So you'll usually be able to tell if your butter has spoiled by looking at it.
Butter also develops a sour smell as it deteriorates, similar to the smell of spoiled milk. This sour smell is caused by bacteria releasing enzymes in the butter that break down the proteins and release sour-smelling lactic acid.
Sometimes you might not smell or see that butter has spoiled, so taste a small piece before you use it. If the butter tastes sour, rancid, or fizzy, you should discard it immediately.
It's always best to use the freshest ingredients, especially dairy and egg, so you can make sure your food is of its best quality.
Are chocolate orange muffins suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, as long as you use the exact ingredients in the list this recipe should be completely vegetarian!
Animal derived products can sneak into the most surprising ingredients! So always make sure that you double-check all of your ingredients labels to ensure that they are vegetarian. Also, don't forget to check anything extra that you intend to serve with your recipe.
Are chocolate orange muffins suitable for vegans?
While this recipe is perfectly suitable for vegetarians. Unfortunately for vegans it contains a number of ingredients that use animal products.
However, I've certainly made vegan muffins and vegan frosting that have both been delicious, so it should be possible to alter this recipe to be fully vegan and still end up with a muffin with a wonderful taste and texture.
To make a vegan version of this recipe you would need to swap the eggs, milk and chocolate for vegan alternatives.
Let me know in the comments if you try to veganize this recipe, or if you'd like me to give it a go!
Animal-derived products can be used to thicken, colour or flavour sweet and savoury food, so it sneaks into the most surprising ingredients! So always make sure that you double-check all of your ingredients labels to ensure that they are vegan. Also, don't forget to check anything extra that you intend to serve with your recipe.
Are chocolate orange muffins gluten-free?
Unfortunately, these muffins aren’t gluten-free as they contain wheat flour. Also, at the time of writing (April 2022) some labels indicate Terry’s Chocolate Oranges may have cross-contamination with gluten.
You could swap out the self-raising wheat flour for a gluten-free alternative like this one from Doves Farm. However, the Doves Farm version is plain flour, so you will need to add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
As for Terry’s Chocolate Orange, you could substitute it with a confirmed gluten-free orange flavoured chocolate.
Double-check all of your ingredients labels to make sure that they are gluten-free. Don't forget to check anything extra that you intend to serve the recipe with.
Are chocolate orange muffins keto-friendly?
These muffins contain a fair amount of sugar and carbohydrates. So they aren't suitable for a keto diet, sorry!
Are chocolate orange muffins healthy?
As with most sponge cakes, this recipe has a fair amount of sugar, fat and carbohydrates. So it's not the kind of thing that you should snack on every day. But there's nothing wrong with an occasional treat as part of a balanced diet.
A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional if you need further information or have any concerns.
Where can I buy a Terry’s Chocolate Orange?
In the UK Terry's Chocolate Oranges are sold in most supermarkets year-round. Outside of the UK, you may need to order it online or see if you can find a suitable alternative. If you have the time you could even use slices of candied orange slices covered in chocolate.
Where can I buy chocolate orange chips?
If you can't find any chocolate orange chips, try using pieces of Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Or you could try candied oranges cut into small cubes or simply leave them out entirely.
Is this chocolate orange muffin recipe safe to eat while pregnant?
As long as you fully cook the eggs this recipe is perfectly safe to eat while pregnant. However, bear in mind that chocolate contains caffeine.
Make sure that all of your ingredients are in good condition and that you prepare your muffins safely and hygienically.
A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional if you need further information or have any concerns.
What goes well with chocolate orange muffins?
For me personally, you can't beat a hot drink! In my case, it's a big mug of tea, and my husband loves it with a coffee. As this is such a deliciously rich muffin I really don't think you need more than that.
Can I make this recipe without Terry’s Chocolate Orange? Can I make this recipe without chocolate orange chips?
While neither ingredient is entirely necessary they certainly add to the decadence of the dish, so if at all possible I wouldn't leave them out. If you simply can't find them in a shop near you you could try to find a suitable substitute such as candied orange cut into cubes.
Can I make this recipe in a different tin/tray?
While muffin tins are of course the best option it should be theoretically possible to use a tray instead. To make a traybake just be aware that your cooking times may vary.
How can I make sure my chocolate orange muffins turn out perfectly?
- Accurate ingredients: First, it’s best practice to weigh and measure all the ingredients before you begin cooking. This will reduce the chance of mistakes or forgotten ingredients.
- Temperature: Next, make sure that you preheat your oven and it is running at the correct temperature. Below I outline the ways that oven temperatures can be incorrect, so you may need to invest in an oven thermometer.
- Timing: Once you start mixing the ingredients, make sure you add them in the order that the recipe states. Raising agents begin to react as soon as they hit the water, so if your raising agents begin reacting too soon they might tire out before they get to the oven.
- This is why you should make sure that you don't leave your batter sitting around for too long before baking it. The chemical reaction of the raising agent might die off before it has a chance to work during the cooking process.
- Avoid a greasy bottom (a bit too Nigella?): Another top tip for getting perfect muffins is this rice in muffin tin trick. If you hate the grease pooling in the bottom of muffin cases, this is definitely your new favourite cooking tip!
- Cooked?: To check if your muffins are cooked, insert a flat skewer into the centre of the muffin and pull it out. If it comes out clean then they're ready. If you notice anything other than moisture has stuck to the skewer then they need a little longer in the oven. Try not to be constantly skewering the muffins. Only skewer once if possible, as opening and closing the oven door will cause a temperature fluctuation which can negatively impact how muffins cook.
- Frosting: Mix on a low speed with your electric whisk until everything is combined. You can then turn your beaters up to full speed and beat until light and smooth. It will take at least 4-5 minutes.
Why did my muffins turn out so flat? Why don't my muffins rise?
There are a few reasons this could happen. Here are the most common ones:
- The dial on your oven may be wrong meaning it's hotter than you think it is, which means the muffins will rise too fast to support their own weight.
- If too much air is beaten into the batter the muffins will rise too fast and then collapse.
- Or, if the oven door has been opened and closed a lot during baking the rapid temperature change will cause the muffins to lose height.
- If you slam the tin down on the worktop or slam the oven door you can knock some of the air out of the muffins.
- Using a muffin tin that's too deep can mean that the mix won't cook all the way through so they aren't able to hold their structure.
Why are my muffins so dense?
Dense muffins are usually the result of adding too much flour, so double check your quantities are correct!
It may also be the case that you opened the oven door during baking, which can cause the muffins to collapse.
It's also possible that you have simply overcooked the muffins, which leads to more moisture being lost, which will make the muffins feel dense.
It's also worth noting that self-raising flour doesn't last as long as just plain old flour, so make sure that it's in date or some of its effectiveness could be lost meaning that you won't get as much of a rise.
Why did my muffin batter split/curdle?
Split or curdled batter looks wrinkled or a little like scrambled eggs, and generally happens when the fat and water in your batter have separated rather than smoothly combined into an 'emulsion' of liquid and fat.
More often than not the culprit is temperature differences, with the creamed butter and sugar a different temperature to the eggs, usually because the eggs have just come out of the fridge. This makes the butter start to harden and prevents the emulsion from forming. I generally keep my eggs at room temperature, but different countries have different traditions as well as different egg production processes which change the recommendations on how they are stored. The easiest thing to do if this is what you think the problem was is to take your eggs out a little while before baking and allow them to come up to room temperature.
The second most common reason for batter splitting is due to over mixing. As soon as your battery is starting to become lump-free you can stop mixing.
If you have already split your batter don't worry too much, as you will probably find it mostly comes back together once you fold in the flour. Even if it doesn't I would recommend you still go through with baking the muffins anyway. You might get a slightly different texture, but they will certainly still be delicious.
How should I store chocolate orange muffins?
You should store your chocolate orange muffins in an airtight container in the fridge. Or you can keep unfrosted muffins in a sealed container and keep it in a cupboard.
How long will chocolate orange muffins keep?
If stored in an airtight container and in a cool place, your muffins will keep for 3-4 days.
The texture may dry out slightly during that time, depending on the heat and humidity in your kitchen.
Can I leave chocolate orange muffins out on the counter?
No, the buttercream frosting would melt and spoil if you leave your chocolate orange muffins at room temperature for too long.
Can I make chocolate orange muffins ahead?
Yes. These muffins can be stored in an airtight container and will still be fresh-tasting the next day. If you want to make them further ahead than that I would suggest freezing them as soon as they are made, then taking them out to defrost overnight in their container when needed.
Can I keep chocolate orange muffins in the refrigerator?
Yes, the best place to store your decorated muffins is in the fridge. They should keep for up to 4 days if you keep them in an airtight container.
Can I freeze chocolate orange muffins?
This recipe freezes rather well - simply place your muffins in the freezer in an airtight container where they should keep for at least one month. If you are going to freeze them I would recommend doing so as soon as possible rather than realising you've made more than you can get through, as they will become a little dry after a few days.
The great thing about freezing them is that you can grab one on your way to work or pop it in a lunch box as necessary.
It's best to freeze your muffins unfrosted, as the frosting can get damaged when frozen, or it can sometimes split as it defrosts if you use butter with high water content.
Luckily you can freeze and defrost your buttercream frosting too.
The best way to freeze buttercream is to transfer it into a sealed container or sandwich bag and place it in the freezer.
So, first, you'll need to make sure you have a clean container that is big enough to contain your buttercream. However, it's best to use a container that doesn't have too much excess space.
If your container has a lot of air, there's more chance of freezer burn to develop on your frozen buttercream.
What is the best way to defrost chocolate orange muffins?
It's best to defrost your muffins in an airtight container in the fridge. It should take 2-4 hours for a cupcake to defrost.
Can I make these chocolate orange muffins in a different quantity?
If you want to make more or less of this recipe then go right ahead.
This recipe makes 12 muffins. So divide each of the ingredients by 12 and then multiply the answer by the amount you want to produce.
For example, if I wanted to make 20 muffins I would do the following for each ingredient.
3 eggs ÷ 12 = 0.25 egg. Then, 0.25 egg x 20 = 5 eggs.
The cooking time should be unaffected by the change in recipe size, as the muffins cook individually.
Can I make these chocolate orange muffins as one big cake?
If you want to make these chocolate orange muffins into one big chocolate orange cake go ahead!
You could try dividing the batter between two greased 9inch cake tins instead of the muffin tray. Then bake for the same amount of time/temperature.
Perform a skewer test once the cooking time is over to check the cakes are cooked. If they aren't fully cooked, pop them back in for another 5 minutes and then test them again.
Then once the cakes are cooled you can use the frosting to sandwich the cakes. You may need to make extra frosting to cover the top of the cake too. Feel free to top with Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments or any other decoration.
I haven’t tried this recipe as one big cake so I can't be sure this would work, so let me know how it goes!
Can I make chocolate orange muffins in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?
Yes, a stand mixer would be super helpful for mixing your chocolate orange muffin batter ingredients.
You could use a stand mixer to mix the butter, oil, sugar, eggs and milk, but once you add the flour, switch to mixing by hand so you don’t overwork the flour.
Overworking the flour will result in tough, chewy muffins so you only want to gently fold the flour through using a spoon or spatula.
Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl between each ingredient so you don’t leave any mix stuck to the bowl.
You can also use a stand mixer to mix your buttercream. Again, make sure not to overmix your buttercream. If you overmix the butter, it will break down too much and become too runny and eventually even split.
Can I make chocolate orange muffins with a food processor?
A blender or food processor would be too powerful for this recipe. It would most likely overwork the flour and split the buttercream. Plus it would be very difficult to get your muffin mix or buttercream out of the chamber.
Why did my buttercream frosting split or turn very loose?
If your buttercream frosting has split, it's most likely due to the temperature of the butter. This recipe calls for softened butter, not melted butter, which means that your butter should be soft enough to put a finger indent into it, but not so soft that it's liquid or it can't hold its shape.
If you tried to make the frosting with melted butter, it won't come together in the same way and may seem liquid or split. But, again, it's just as simple to fix as the butter is too cold. You just need to chill the mixture in the fridge for 15-30 minutes until the butter has set, then try whisking it again.
If your butter was softened and not melted, but the frosting still split, it may be because you mixed it for too long. When you keep whisking butter, eventually it softens so much that the water separates from the fat and protein, causing it to split or turn very sloppy. Again, you can fix this by chilling the frosting.
On the other hand, if you've tried to make your frosting with very cold butter, it may have tiny lumps or seem 'gravelly'. The butter is too hard to break down into smooth paste with other ingredients. Luckily it's pretty easy to fix. All you need to do is let your frosting sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until the butter softens a little, then continue mixing.
Print this muffin recipe for later.
Super Decadent Chocolate Orange Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 175 g (6.2 oz) slightly salted butter
- 200 g (7.1 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 200 g (7.1 oz) self-raising white flour (self rising flour)
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 125 ml (4.2 floz) whole milk
- 40 g (1.4 oz) cocoa powder (dutch processed)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) chocolate orange chips roughly chopped
For the frosting
- 600 g (1.3 lb) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 300 g (7.1 oz) slightly salted butter softened
- 4 tbsp hot water
- 50 g (6 tbsp) cocoa powder (dutch processed)
- 4 drops orange essence
- 70 g (2) Terry’s Chocolate Orange
Instructions
Make the sponges
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted).
- Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy.
- Add the eggs and beat again.
- Add the flour and cocoa powder and fold through.
- Add the milk and stir through.
- Add the chocolate orange buttons and fold through.
- Line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases, then divide the batter evenly between them.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- Put the butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, hot water and orange essence in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat until light and smooth – it’s quickest to use an electric whisk.
- Transfer into the piping bag with the nozzle in place and twist.
Putting it all together
- Pipe the frosting on top of the 12 muffins in generous, rising swirls – sharing it all evenly.
- Place one piece of the Terry’s Chocolate Orange bar onto the top of the each of the muffins, pressing gently to help it stick to the frosting.
Video
Nutrition
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Evan Jarman says
The muffins taste great! The icing can be applied even if you don’t have a piping bag (like me). However, the measurements for the icing leave you with way too much, so maybe do half if everything, and make more if needed :)
Coombemill - Fiona says
They look to good to be true!
Aly says
I could of sworn I left a comment a few days ago.Ah, well I just realised I hadn't put your badge on my post.Sorting it now.
Emily Leary says
You did comment on my honey muffins!
Alison says
Those look amazing, must try them