Orange Infused Cupcake w/ a Orange Mascarpone Cream Filling and Dark Chocolate Buttercream

Hello cupcake where have you've been all my life! I missed out last week on making a weekend dessert due to the sickness.  But I made it all up this weekend with this amazing cupcake.  I wasn't expecting it to really wow me, the flavor combination sounding pleasing. But after taking my first bite  I knew I would be making this again.
Some of the cupcakes I've made before were a little on the sugary sweet side for me so this time I made sure to reduce the sugar in the cupcake recipe and substitute the butter with coconut oil and I was so happy I did. Now the cupcake part was pretty delish but the ingredient that puts this cupcake over the top is the Orange mascarpone cream filling, that with the dark chocolate buttercream was just heaven. I'm contemplating not sharing them with my co-workers there're just that good lol.

Orange Infused Cupcake w/ a Orange Mascarpone Cream Filling and Dark Chocolate Buttercream
Flavor combo by Oishii Treats


Orange Cupcake
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication 2012
Bake Time 16 Minutes

Ingredients
3/4 Cup Coconut Oil
3 Eggs
2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 Cups Sugar (original calls for 1 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons Orange extract
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 1/4 Cups Almond Milk

Directions
-Preheat your oven for 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with your paper cups
-Combine your flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside
-In a large bowl whisk together your coconut oil and sugar once combined add your eggs in one at a time until completely mixed.
-Add your orange extract and orange zest to the mixture and whisk
-Alternately add your flour mixture and almond milk to the batter, whisking after each addition.  just until combine (the less you mix the batter the more moist and fluffy the cupcakes will turn out)
-Fill your paper liners till 3/4 full and bake for 16 minutes, immediately remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Orange Mascarpone Cream Filling
Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients
1/4 Cup Mascarpone cheese (room temp)
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed Orange juice (i used simply oj juice)
1/2 Cup whipping cream
3 Tablespoons Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon Orange zest

Directions 
-In a electric mixer beat together the mascarpone cheese and oj until smooth
-Add your whipping cream, powdered sugar and orange zest and mix until soft peaks form about 1-2 minutes. Keep in the fridge until your ready to use.
- Make a hole in the middle of your cupcakes. I used a pointed frosting tip to make a hole in the top of the cupcake and used a small 1/2 teaspoon to scoop out some of the cake from the middle.
- Fill a piping bag with your cream filling and pipe into the hole.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Martha Stewart 

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temp)
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz Cream Cheese (room temp)
3.5 oz dark cocoa bar (melted)
1 Tablespoon Almond milk

Directions
-In a electric mixer beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth
- Add your vanilla extract and powdered sugar mix until combined.
- Add your melted (cooled) dark chocolate and mix, use a spatula to help scrap the sides of the bowl.
- If the frosting is very thick use 1 tablespoon almond milk to help thin out the frosting.
- Fill a pipping bag and pipe buttercream onto your cupcakes.