Cooking Club 2014 Week 6: Chocolate Orange Cake

Malari

Happy Valentine's Day Clubbers! Thought I'd do something sweet for the day that's in it. This is a slightly altered version of Mary Berry's Chocolate Orange Cake.

Ingredients for Cake:
100g butter
50g cocoa powder
90ml boiling water
3 x large eggs
4 tbsp milk
175g self-raising flour
1 x rounded tsp baking powder
300g golden caster sugar
Zest of an orange

Ingredients for Ganache:
100g melted dark chocolate
25g butter
60ml milk

Ingredients for Candied Orange Decoration:
Half an orange, cut into thin half-moon slices
1.5 x cups (335ml) water
0.5 x cups (100g) caster sugar

Ingredients for Icing:
85g butter
225g icing sugar
Orange syrup from candied oranges
Orange/yellow food colouring (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (GM 4). Grease and line two round sandwich tins.

Make the cake mix first. Combine the boiling water and cocoa powder to make a smooth paste. Add this to the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth.

Divide the mix between the cake tins and bake for 20-25 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, make the candied oranges. Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a pot and add the orange slices. Boil for about 5 mins, turning once, then bring the pot down to a simmer, and leave for about 30 mins, turning occasionally, until the oranges turn translucent. Make sure the water doesn't all evaporate - the oranges should always be just about covered by liquid. Remove the slices and leave them to cool on greaseproof paper. Reserve the syrup to flavour the butter icing.

Combine the butter icing ingredients in the food processor until light and fluffy and easy to spread.

Melt together the ganache ingredients in a pot on the stove top or in the microwave and allow to cool for a few minutes.

When the cake is cooled, sandwich together with the butter icing and pour the ganache over the top. Try to use a place with curved edges as opposed to a flat cake stand, as the ganache will just spread out everywhere (as I learned!).

Finally, decorate with the candied orange and present to valentine. Await praise, love and showering on of gifts.

Cheshire Cat

Chocolate and Orange - a match made in heaven :P

leahyl

OH.MY.GOD *DROOL* - have to make this

Faith

Malari, you know about me and sugar!! Why would you do this?!

Malari

Faith wrote: »

Malari, you know about me and sugar!! Why would you do this?!

Sorry Faith! Special occasion cake maybe?

Mr E

Another low calorie recipe.

The orange slices are part of my 5 a day, yes?

MissFlitworth

Yes, also you're allowed one portion of your 5 a day from juice so the orange-y syrup covers that.

Malari

Mr E wrote: »

Another low calorie recipe.

The orange slices are part of my 5 a day, yes?

MissFlitworth wrote: »

Yes, also you're allowed one portion of your 5 a day from juice so the orange-y syrup covers that.

Not to mention the zest! Don't you know the skin is where all the nutrients are

And also this is meant to be an edible gift, guys!

ChewChew

I'll be your valentine.... Now.... Get delivering will ya!! : p seriously though that looks amazing and it's definitely one I will be making ASAP!!!!!

Neyite

I was going to ask you for this recipe.

Its delish!

anewme

Looks yum, what size sponge tins to use?

Also, does the Ganache harden?

Cathmandooo

Ooooh that looks delicious. I'm going to try this out tonight. Sadly I won't be around when its eaten so I may have to make a mini one just so I can eat that

Malari

anewme wrote: »

Looks yum, what size sponge tins to use?

Also, does the Ganache harden?

Sorry, just seeing this now! I will measure my sponge tins tonight, but to be honest I just use the same ones for everything. They are probably 20cm?

The ganache doesn't harden to a crust, like white sugar icing, it's softer than that. More like butter icing consistency I suppose?

Malari

Cathmandooo wrote: »

Ooooh that looks delicious. I'm going to try this out tonight. Sadly I won't be around when its eaten so I may have to make a mini one just so I can eat that

Take a slice out of it when it's done - all the better to show off the orange icing filling in the rest of the cake. :pac:

Lovely Bloke

ChewChew wrote: »

I'll be your valentine.... Now.... Get delivering will ya!! : p seriously though that looks amazing and it's definitely one I will be making ASAP!!!!!

bring one tomorrow pls

Cathmandooo

I forgot to make a small version for me to have but it was a great recipe, so easy to follow, turned out lovely and by all accounts has gone down a storm. I'll definitely be making it again, all for myself :pac:

I altered it a bit because I wanted to do a piggy mudbath cake, I added a squeeze of orange juice to the icing as I didn't have the syrup and my ganache was 175g Terrys Chocolate Orange, 100g 75% dark choc and 150ml double cream.

Thanks for posting it!

Malari

Wow, that looks awesome! Did you make those piggies?

Cathmandooo

Thanks, I did make the piggies! They're very easy to do, pink roll out icing, a cocktail stick and some edible glue is all you need.

Malari

Cathmandooo wrote: »

Thanks, I did make the piggies! They're very easy to do, pink roll out icing, a cocktail stick and some edible glue is all you need.

Plus some artistic prowess, a skill sadly lacking in my arsenal :D

Mr. CooL ICE

^^ That's one hell of a good looking cake

Just wondering, would using 2.5 tsp of baking powder with plain flour give the same effect as using the 1 tsp of baking powder with self-raising flour, as listed in the OP?

ChewChew

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

bring one tomorrow pls

You're not invited to our party!!! :mad:



Cath!!!!!! Your cake looks AMAZING!!!!!!!

Malari

anewme wrote: »

Looks yum, what size sponge tins to use?

Also, does the Ganache harden?

OK, finally remembered to measure my cake tins, and they are indeed 20cm.

Roesy

Made this today. Delicious! Thanks op. My cake didn't look the prettiest as the ganache didn't come out as silky as usual and the lining came away from the side of my sandwich tins so the sponge was uneven but it tasted ridiculously good. I'll know what to do differently next time I make it.

maryk123

Wow I have to try this I love the pig bath very funny

homemadecider

This looks great, OP. I'm making this tonight.

anewme

Eventually today I got to make this!