Chocolate Orange Cake

I am in love with this cake. If I ever told you that I dislike orange flavoured cakes, I humbly take back my words. For the first time in my life, I zested an orange. My goodness, the heady scent of fresh oranges was very pleasing indeed. I thought I smelt love. This coming from someone who doesn't care much for oranges.

Orange ice-cream? Yuks! Orange juice? That I like. Orange cakes? No, thank you. That was me before this cake. After I added the orange zest to the cake batter, the aroma got even better. When the cake came out of the oven, the smell of oranges and chocolate was intoxicating. I couldn't believe my nose. Hah! Hah! 

My opinion of orange flavoured cakes changed forever when I took my first bite. I do sound over dramatic don't I? When I was a little girl, my mum baked me an orange cake. I still remember that cake. The middle part peaked like a volcano and it was for my birthday, I think. Being young, I had no prejudice against oranges and any cake would have made me happy. Besides, the only cake I ever ate in Terengganu was the horrible butter cake from the bakery. 

My first bake.

This is the second time I baked this cake. Yes, I love it that much. The first time, I overbaked it. At 40 minutes, it appeared to be done but I have a phobia for under done cakes. So I let it bake for another 10 minutes because the recipe said to bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

A bit dry because it was overbaked.

When I tried to unmould it, the cake wouldn't budge. Stuck because I did not grease the pan adequately. After a few taps, the cake came out but a small part got stuck to the pan. And because it was overbaked, some parts were a bit hard and crumbly. But still, it tasted very good.

It was fun alternating the two batters into the pan. The first time, I was very careful. The second time I was more trigger happy, dolloping here and dolloping there without a care in the world. 

Reminds me of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream :)

To smooth the batter, I just gave it a few violent taps on the table top. Thump! Thump! Thump! Kau Tim! At 40 minutes the skewer came out with some wet batter. I let it bake for another 5 minutes and it appeared to be OK. With great faith, I removed it from the oven to cool.

Because I had generously buttered the pan, the cake came out immediately after it inverted it onto a plate. I was so happy. So happy that I broke the rule and ate two slices :) 

The marbling looks nicer than the first bake. 

The recipe calls for 250 grams of sour cream which I had in my first bake. But I was not so lucky the second time because I couldn't get sour cream from Aeon. I substituted with 250ml plain yogurt and it worked very well. So no worries if you can't or prefer not to use sour cream.

The texture of this cake is soft and moist. It tastes even better the next day. To me, this recipe is a keeper if you are into orange and chocolate combinations. Here's the recipe for the latest addition to my favourite cake list with my adaptations in red.

Chocolate Orange Cake 

Recipe source : Lovely Butter Cakes (page 16)
My modifications and notes are in red

Ingredients :

Ingredients A
- 200g butter (I plonked in the whole block of 250g)
- 200g caster sugar (I reduced sugar to 150g)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp chopped orange rind (I zested the rind of 1 whole orange)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.

Ingredients B (Combined and sifted)
- 250g plain flour (I used self-raising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder (I omitted)
- 1 tsp baking soda (I omitted)
- 1/8 esp salt (I omitted)

Ingredients C
- 250ml sour cream
- 30g cooking chocolate (chopped and melted using double boiler)(I used 50g)

Method :
1. Preheat oven at 180C (I used 160C).
2. Grease a 9" baking mould with butter. (I used an 8 inch bundt pan which I buttered generously and sprinkled with flour. Then I set the pan aside in the fridge)
3. Beat butter and add sugar. Beat until soft and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
5. Add orange rind and vanilla essence and beat till well combined.
6. Add ingredients B in four additions and sour cream in 3 additions. Beat well after each addition.
7. Take 1/2 of the batter and gently mix with the melted chocolate (do not overmix)
8. Alternate the plain and chocolate batter along the edge of the mould until all the batter is used up.
9. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 55-60 minutes (Mine was done within 45-50 minutes at 160C)
10. Remove from oven and unmould after 10 minutes and let cake continue to cool.

This post is linked to Cook-Your-Books #1 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.