Orange and Chocolate Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in sugar and set aside.

In a medium bowl add orange zest and juice, water, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour wet ingredients over the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and fold them into the batter.

Line a 12-count standard-size muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each liner just above 2/3 of the way full. I use a #20 kitchen scoop which makes it super easy.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean and the cakes spring back to the touch.

Remove pan from oven and set on a rack. Cool cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a wire rack. Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting them.

For the orange buttercream frosting:
In a large bowl cream together butter and Tofutti cream cheese. Add orange zest, juice and vanilla and blend until combined. Sift confectioners’ sugar over the bowl and whip until fluffy and combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Pipe or spread frosting onto fully cooled cupcakes.

Make 12 cupcakes.