Get Zesty

• Cocoa powder allows you to create rich chocolate frosting quickly, with few added steps. The key is to sift together unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioner's sugar, in a ratio of about 1-to-6, before mixing with butter, milk and vanilla. Once the frosting is mixed, add in about 2 tablespoons of freshly grated orange rind. Take care not to zest the white pith, because it will add too much bitterness. For an even more intense orange flavor, add more zest and freshly squeezed orange juice to taste.

Chocolate Double Team

• Create an even more intense chocolate flavor in your chocolate orange frosting by using both cocoa powder and melted bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. Adjust the ratio of cocoa powder to confectioner's sugar to about 1-to-8, add extra butter for stability, and mix up the frosting as you would with cocoa powder. Then, drizzle in melted chocolate that's been cooled to room temperature, about 8 ounces for a standard recipe, and mix until combined. Mix in your orange zest and, if desired, juice, to taste.

Add Another Note of Tangy

• Amp up the tanginess factor of your chocolate orange frosting by making a flavored cream cheese frosting. Modify your favorite cream cheese icing by adding about 1/4 cup of sifted cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of orange zest to the recipe. Mix the ingredients in with the addition of the sifted confectioner's sugar, and adjust as needed to taste. The rich tanginess of the cream cheese will add another layer of depth to the citrus and chocolate combination.

Extract the Flavor

• Whether fresh oranges are out of season and less than ripe, or you simply prefer a non-zest approach, substitute orange extract for the zest and any juice in your recipe. Mix the cocoa powder-based frosting recipe as you regularly would, then add in orange extract 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting between each mixture. The concentrated flavor can overwhelm other tastes, so it's better to add a bit at a time rather than overdo it from the start.

Glazed and Infused

• Cocoa powder also works for making a nice chocolate orange glaze, instead of a heavier, butter-laden frosting. Simply sift cocoa powder with confectioner's sugar, in a ratio of about 1-to-8, adjusting to taste. Then stir the sifted ingredients in gradually to a few tablespoons of orange juice, until the mixture reaches spreading or pouring consistency. Add more juice to make a thinner icing. For an extra hit of orange, add in fresh orange zest.