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Soft and fudgy chocolate cake with a whole orange in the batter and an orange infused ganache

Chocolate Orange Cake

Soft and fudgy chocolate cake with a whole orange in the batter and an orange infused ganache
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes: 16 pieces
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Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 2 oranges (I like the ones usually called Valencia oranges in India)
  • 100 gms dark chocolate (70% to 75%), chopped
  • 1 and 1/3 cups caster sugar (250 gms)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (250 ml)
  • 3 eggs, at room temp (I haven't tried a substitute)
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp cocoa powder (Dutch-process recommended but natural is ok too) (25 gms)
  • 1 and 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml)

For the ganache

  • 1/2 cup cream (125 ml; whipping cream or regular)
  • 75 gms semi-sweet chocolate (50% to 55% dark), finely chopped

Instructions

  • Boil the orange. Fill a pot with water and place one orange in it. Place on medium heat and bring to a boil, letting the orange soften in it for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring it around occasionally. Let the orange cool, then cut it into quarters and remove any seeds. Blitz in a food processor or blender until smooth (see photo below).Set aside. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to a day and bring to room temperature before adding it to the batter.
  • Zest the second orange in a small bowl, then slice it in half and squeeze out 1/4 cup juice, using one or both halves as needed. The zest is needed for the ganache and decoration, so if you're not assembling the cake immediately, you can refrigerate it.
  • Make the cake batter. Line an 8 inch square pan with non-stick baking paper leaving a little overhang for easy removal. Preheat the oven to 175 C. You can use a 9 inch round pan too.
  • Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in bursts of 10 seconds. Stir till smooth and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the sugar and oil till combined, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, till smooth and slightly thickened. Add the vanilla and orange pulp from step one and whisk again.
  • Now stir in the melted chocolate, then sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Fold slowly with a silicone spatula to combine and use the whisk to break up any lumps. The batter will be thick and just before it's fully combined, pour in the orange juice and stir it in. Avoid over-mixing.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, till a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely before you frost it. You can leave it out overnight, loosely covered.
  • Make the ganache. Add the chocolate to a bowl then combine the cream and half the 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. Cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then spread all over the cake.
  • Decorate with the remaining orange zest, then use the paper overhang to lift the cake out and slice into 16 pieces or 9 larger ones. Store in the fridge in an airtight box for 4 to 5 days or freeze for longer. The cake is soft so refrigerating it makes for cleaner slices but bring them to room temperature before enjoying. Happy baking!

Notes

Shop this recipe: Dutch Cocoa, Caster Sugar, Dark Chocolate, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Baking Paper, Balloon Whisk
*Adapted a little from this BBC Good Food recipe 
*If you've tried the first version of this cake and would like to make it that way again: I didn't boil the whole orange and instead removed the peel and seeds, then blitzed it up. I also used 1 and 1/4 cups sugar in the batter and baked the cake in a 9x5 loaf tin (see third photo below) which took 1 hr 20 mins to get done. I made a thinner ganache with 55 gms chocolate and 2/3rd cup cream.