Clementine Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Ganache

This recipe makes such beautiful cupcakes, soft, light, fluffy sponges flavoured with the real essence of clementines.  They are stunning topped with a dark, glossy chocolate ganache, the classic combination of chocolate and orange is hard to beat.

Note - the boiling of the clementines can be done the day before you want to make the cakes, just blitz them and store in a container in the fridge.

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 Whole Clementines

2 Large Eggs

1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice

100g Soft Butter

150g Caster Sugar

200g Self-Raising Flour

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache
150g Dark Chocolate
(I use 70% cocoa solids but use a lighter dark chocolate if you prefer)
100ml Double Cream

• Place both whole clementines into a small pan, cover with cold water then bring to the boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer for an hour and a half.  After this time, turn the heat off and allow the clementines to cool in the water until they are cool enough to handle.
• Carefully pick the clementines out of the now cool water and put onto a plate, they will be very soft.  Cut or pick out the hard bit from the top and the bottom then gently pull the clementine apart.  Check each segment for pips then put the whole lot into a food processor or mini chopper (a blender will also work), blitz until smooth.  If you don't have any of this equipment, just finely chop it all being careful not to lose any of the juice that comes out, you can then push it through a sieve to make sure it's as smooth as possible.
• Preheat the oven to 170C (fan) and prepare a muffin tin with paper cases.
• Break the eggs and mix them into the pureed clementines.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the butter and caster sugar together until fluffy.
• Slowly whisking, pour in the clementine mixture then slowly add the flour with the bicarb and salt and mix just until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Spoon into 12 cupcake cases and bake for around 20 minutes until they are all risen and golden.  Allow to cool.
• To make the ganache, chop the chocolate up into small pieces and put into a bowl.  Heat the cream in a pan until almost bowling then pour into the chopped chocolate, stirring as you pour. Continue to stir briskly until all the chocolate is melted and incorporated glossily into the cream,
• The easiest way to ice the cakes is to dip them directly into the chocolate ganache, swirling them around to cover the tops.