Fireworks Cupcake Recipe
Whether it’s the 4th of July or Bastille Day, these sparkling celebration cupcakes are just the thing to serve when the night sky is exploding with brightly colored stars. Take a plate of these dense, moist, citrusy chocolate cupcakes topped with mini-sparklers outside while you watch the fireworks.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- grated peel of 1 unwaxed orange
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
To Decorate:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- edible silver balls (dragees) or stars
- 12 mini-sparklers
a 12-cup cupcake pan, lined with paper liners, makes 12
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl. Sift into a larger bowl and make a well in the center.
Combine the orange juice and peel, oil, and vinegar in small pitcher and pour into the dry ingredients. Quickly stir together until combined, then spoon the mixture into the paper liners. (It should be quite liquid and gooey, so you may find a small ladle useful.)
Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes until risen and firm on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
To decorate, heat the cream in a saucepan until almost boiling, then add the chocolate. Let melt for about 5 minutes, then stir until smooth and creamy. Let cool for 5-10 minutes more until thick and glossy, then spread over the cupcakes.
Sprinkle the frosted cupcakes with tiny silver balls or stars and stick a sparkler in the center of each one. Light the sparklers and serve.
