Kale and orange cupcakes with orange icing recipe

Ingredients

• 100 g (3.5oz) raw kale leaves
• woody stalks discarded
• 150 g (5.3oz) unsalted butter
• softened
• 150 g (5.3oz) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 orange
• zest and juice
• 200 g (7.1oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 75 g (2.6oz) unsalted butter
• softened
• 250 g (8.8oz) powdered icing sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• possibly a little more

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170C/325F.
2. Line or grease a muffin tray.
3. Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and boil or steam for a few minutes until tender.
4. Refresh in cold water, drain and puree (it will still be a bit stringy).
5. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the kale, vanilla, zest and orange juice.
8. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to gently combine.
9. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
10. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
11. For the icing: In a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy.
12. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until thick.
13. Add enough orange juice to make it a frosting consistency.
14. Once the cupcakes have cooled, spread the icing across them.