Chocolate Orange Pine Cone Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1 cup flour
• 0.5 tsp of soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 0.5 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp finely grated orange zest

Glaze

• 1 tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate granules
• 165 g butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. whole milk
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4.5 cups chocolate squares from a breakfast cereal (such as Chocolate Toast Crunch)

Preparation:

1. Bake the cupcakes:

   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup metal muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
   
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, but do not bring it to a boil. Place the cocoa powder in a large bowl, pour in the hot milk, and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Stir in the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Fold in the flour mixture and knead into a dough.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze:

   
   Place the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Combine the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla in a food processor and pulse until fluffy, 1 minute. Add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth, 1 minute. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the glaze to set.
   
5. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes to a height of approximately 6 cm. Starting at the bottom, pipe crispy squares into the frosting in a circle at a 45-degree angle.