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Just imagine this cake smothered in silken chocolate and cointreau frosting and stuffed with fresh orange slices steeped in cointreau! (Stock Photo) |
This Chocolate Cake is an old favourite, taken to the next level with lashings of Cointreau and orange slices.
The Cake recipe comes from the mother of a friend of Food Network's Ina Garten.
It's a wonderfully moist, darkly chocolate concoction that's never failed, is surprisingly easy to make and is very adaptable.
Orange essence is optional but adds a wonderful layer of flavour. It only costs a pound - much cheaper than vanilla - and adds such interest to whatever it favours gets used up quickly.
Cost: £3.00'ish (at 2019 prices)
Portions: recommended 12
Ingred:
150gm/5.3oz plain flour
60gm/2.1oz wholemeal flour
350gm/12.3oz white sugar (or a mix of white & soft brown)
90gm/3.5oz cocoa powder(not drinking chocolate)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
zest, juice and segments of three oranges, separated
240 ml buttermilk, shaken
120 ml light vegetable oil
2 eggs at room temperature
1 tsp orange essence
juice of two oranges (from above)
240 ml freshly brewed hot coffee LESS the amount of orange juice
Icing:
60gm/2.1oz 70% chocolate (for the frugal, Bournville will do)
125gm/4.5oz unsalted butter, at room temp
1 egg yolk, at room temp
1 tsp good orange essence
75 gm/2.5oz sifted icing sugar
3 tbsp contreau
orange segments
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180c/160 fan/350f/gas 5
- Line the bottom of two 22cm/9inch clip-sided baking tins with greaseproof paper
- Dribble orange liqueur over orange segments; leave to macerate at least 20 mins or overnight. Drain, reserving juices, pat dry. Set aside for icing
- Sift dry ingred & orange zest into large bowl; mix with electric beaters on low speed or with paddle attachment on a free-standing mixer
- In a large jug, hand-whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange essence, juice of two oranges
- Slowly add wet ingred to dry; blend on low speed
- Add coffee and mix, again on low speed, until just combined; use a spatula to scrape bottom and sides of bowl to ensure all is mixed in
- Whiz the batter with beaters on high for a minute
- Divide batter in two equal portions; pour into pans; if your oven isn't very big and you have to bake the cakes one at a time, cover the second cake with cling film pressed onto the batter and refrigerate until 20 minutes before the end of cooking the first.
- Bake 35-45 mins or until toothpick comes out clean
- Cool in pans 30 mins; then turn out onto cooling rack, remove paper and cool completely
Icing:
- Break up chocolate and melt in heat-proof bowl above (not touching) simmering water; cool to room temperature
- Meanwhile beat butter at med-high speed until light & fluffy - about 2 mins
- Add egg yolk & orange essence; beat another 3 mins
- Turn beaters/mixer to low; gradually beat in icing sugar; raise speed to med, scrapping down bowl occasionally until mix is smooth & creamy
- On low speed, add chocolate & cointreau; mix until just blended
- When cakes are absolutely cool, spread icing on base layer; scatter orange segments over the icing
- Add second cake; cover thickly with remaining icing (if there's enough, the sides can also be iced)
- Refrigerate at least an hour before slicing
Tip:
- This will also work in a 8.5x12inch/30cmx21cm rectangular pan
- If you like this, you will probably also like Dark Chocolate Cake & Once-a-Year Icing
The Food Network is on Channel 41 Freeview
Lots more chocolate cake on NavBar: Recipes 1/Baking
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This recipe was adapted by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without written permission.
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