Chocolate Orange Cake

This cake appeared on the blog about four years ago, but there were some problems with it and it needed an update. It’s now perfect. Rich, moist and dark with fresh orange pulp in the batter, along with an orange zest infused ganache on top. Silky, smooth and so good just by itself!

This is originally a BBC Good Food recipe but I changed up a few things. First, I added extra orange juice along with the pulp of the whole orange, to get more citrusy flavour in there. Just to be clear, the chocolate is still the more prominent flavour in the cake. I also used Dutch cocoa for a more intense colour and chocolatey taste, but regular cocoa works too. The science behind the differences in cocoa is interesting and normally I wouldn’t swap one for the other, but since I’ve made it both ways, and the cake is still delicious, feel free to use either.

I also reduced the sugar a bit from the original and made sure to infuse fresh orange zest into warm cream, before making the ganache. It made a huuuuuge difference, because the ganache is suddenly so much more interesting! The orange really shines here and compensates for the more chocolatey flavour of the cake.

You can make this as 9″ round cake which was originally intended, or go the loaf route, which takes a little longer to bake, but otherwise turns out great. Plus, I was taking this cake for friends and find it much easier to pack a loaf cake!

People fall deeply in love with this cake because it’s just so perfect in the way it tastes and its texture. Because it’s oil-based, it stays moist even after chilling in the fridge, unlike a butter cake which can go a bit dry and needs to be left out at room temperature to bring it back to the original texture. The ganache is just so delicious, that I prefer it when it’s a bit gooey and melty on the cake, but after a good chill, it sets on the cake and makes slicing easier.

I hope you’ll make this cake today!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Moist chocolate and orange cake with orange zest infused ganache

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

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Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 100 gms dark cooking chocolate (70% to 75%), chopped
• 1 whole orange
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder, Dutch-process recommended (25 gms)
• 1 and 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/4 cups caster sugar (240 gms)
• 1 cup vegetable oil (250 ml)
• 3 eggs, at room temp (I haven't tried a substitute)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml)

For the ganache

• 2/3 cup cream (160 ml; whipping cream or regular)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate (55 gms)

Instructions

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in the bursts of 5 seconds so it doesn't get overheated. Stir till smooth and set aside. Peel the orange and remove as much of the white pith as you can, because it is bitter. Remove the seeds and blitz the orange in a food processor until smooth.
• Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf tin and line it with baking paper leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Preheat the oven to 175 C.
• Now sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and oil till combined, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, till completely combined.
• Now stir in the orange pulp and orange juice followed by the melted chocolate.
• Slowly fold in the flour mixture until you have a thick but smooth batter. If needed, run a hand mixer through it to break up any lumps.
• Spread the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 1 hour, then cover the top loosely with foil and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before you frost it.
• To make the ganache frosting, place the chocolate chisp in a bowl, and then combine the cream and orange zest in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and let the cream come to a very gentle simmer, not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir to make a smooth, silky ganache.
• Let the ganache cool and thicken at room temperature for about 30 minutes. If you're working in a warm kitchen, it's a good idea to chill the ganache for 10 minutes before you frost the cake.
• Spread the ganache on top of the cake and around the sides of it. Let the cake chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to let the ganache set, though personally, I prefer it freshly frosted when the ganache is super soft! Slice and enjoy. The cake should be stored in the fridge at all times and will last about a week. Happy baking!

Notes

*The flavour of the cake is more chocolate than orange. It is the ganache that really gives the orange flavour, so do not skip the zest!

*Dutch-process cocoa creates a deeper colour and more chocolatey flavour but if you can't find any of them, using regular natural cocoa is ok too.

*Adapted from this BBC Good Food recipe 

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