Mid-week sweet cravings calls for something to be whipped up quickly without any fuss. I had some homemade candied orange left over from this event, so I decided to make a cake out of it. My originally plans for these candied oranges was to cover them with chocolate so I can give away as gifts, but I’ll have to save that for another day. I love how the process of cooking the oranges in a syrup allows the rind to go soft, stickingly sweet and edible.
This was the first cake I made with Bellarossa. Did I tell you guys how much I love her yet? I loved being able to walk away to do other things while she whips up eggs with ease; in fact, it is so much better than doing it with a hand held mixer. The candied orange is blended and incorporated into the cake batter, I was a little worried that it wasn’t going to turn out and thought that the candied orange would sink but it turned out fine.
When it was time for me to turn the cake out onto a wire rack, a chunk of the cake remained on the tin so I decided to cover up the flaws with chocolate ganache. Mmm… The perfect crime. No one will ever know. Otherwise I was going to drizzle the cake with the orange syrup left over from the candied orange. I could imagine the use of this recipe to be used flexibly with other citrus fruits; how does a candied lime and coconut cake sound or how about a candied lemon sherbet cake?
To tell you the truth, for some reason I don’t tend to eat a lot of the desserts that I make. I always try to offload it to friends, workmates or rely on my huge family to consume it all. However, I had 3 slices of this cake. It was light but moist at the same time. I might have to grab that last slice… Mmm…
Recipe
Adapted from Seasons by Donna Hay
Serves about 8-10
Candied orange
1 orange
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Candied orange cake
4 eggs
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour, sifted
150g butter, melted
1 cups (120g) almond meal (ground almond)
Chocolate orange ganache
1/4 cup orange syrup (from candied orange)
100mL thickened cream
100gm chocolate, roughly chopped (I used a 50% one)
For the candied orange
- Cut the orange in 1cm slices.
- Boil the water and sugar on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the orange slices and keep on the heat for about 1 hour (check every 20-30minutes).
- Remove when orange pith is translucent; cool completely.
- Strain the orange syrup for ganache and reserve.
For the chocolate orange ganache
- Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until chocolate melts.
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). Grease and lightly flour a 20cm cake tin.
- Blend the candied orange until smooth (or roughly chop up the candied orange if you don’t have a blender).
- Place eggs, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and whisk for about 10 minutes until mixture has thickened and tripled in volume.
- Fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture.
- Fold butter, almond meal and blended candied orange, until completely combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45mins until skewer comes out clean when tested.
- Cool on wire rack.
- Pour ganache over the cake.
That certainly looks very moist! I don’t eat too many sweets BUT I might have to fight you for that last slice!
It looks awesome. Next time I will bring you some of my mum’s candied orange.
Chocolate and orange is my idea of dessert heaven – I adore citrus and really love chocolate so I’m surprised I haven’t made a jaffa cake before! This looks so moist and orangey (is that a word?).
I always used to be grossed out by the chocolate and orange combination and avoided it like the plague. But recently I had some dark chocolate with orange and it was SO good! So I think I need to try more things 😛
Same reason why I don’t tend to bake whole cakes anymore – not enough people to eat them then my patient effort goes to waste! Easier for me to make individual portions that can be given away to various people and/or frozen.
oh so decadent! seems like a lot of effort too (but lucky your mixer did some of the work ;))
mmmmm gonna have to try this one. I love Jaffa flavoured cakes!
Dude, orange and chocolate! Way to my heart! <3
And lol, chocolate ganache solves all problems doesn't it? Mmm moist…
Yummmm…chocolate & orange…my favourite combination!
that looks amazing! when you come by brisbane, do bring over heaps of cakes
teehee the perfect crime! looks awesome dude!
Mmmm I LOVE the combination of chocolate and orange. I will definitely have to make this. Looks so delicious!
*drools* once again, i’m an idiot for checking your blog whilst stuck in my cubicle.
Wow! How good does that look. I’d love to get my teeth into that!
Mmm jaffa cakes are one of my favourite biscuits (or should that be cakes?). I don’t buy them any more as I can’t resist demolishing the whole packet in one go!
Place eggs, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and whisk for about 10 minutes until mixture has thickened and tripled in volume.
You can tell that you are the proud owner of a new KitchenAid, people with only a hand whisk like me get scared of recipes like these! 😉
Trissa: Maybe you can try to bake this cake with the Thermomix?? 😀
GAGU: I’m looking forward to it!
Sarah: Oh it is orangey.. Do give it a ago 🙂
Kristy: You’re the second person that I’ve come across that didn’t like orange and choc combo. It’s not that bad is it? I think it’s good to be open to trying out new things, you never know what you’re missing out on until you give it a ago.
Mademoiselle délicieuse: Bring a cake to the next food blogger event and I’m sure it’ll be gobbled up in no time 🙂
Vivienne: Well it might seem like it with the candied orange but it’s so worth it!
Iron Chef Shellie: Cool! Let me know how it goes 😀
Karen: Wonderful combo indeed. Hehe when in doubt, chocolate ganache it!
SPT: You think I’ll be able to see this in macaron form? 😛
Thatssoron: Thanks!
Chocolatesuze: Thanks!
Delicieux: Thanks! The combo is good hey? Let me know how it goes 😀
Isis: Aww m’dear, I shall bake you a cake to keep you happy for a week
Spencer: Thanks! I couldn’t help myself, I did it a few times. So good!
Richard: Hahaha words from a proud owner indeed! You can still make it, I don’t think it has to be super duper mixed, just as long as it’s aerated enough because when I mixed all the ingredients afterwards it kinda deflated a bit. So do try it!
Jaffa is, hands down, one of the best chocolate combinations EVER. Yum yum yum 🙂
Ohh yummy! Never tried to candy my own orange before… Haha I was wondering who Bellarossa is then it kicked in! Mine arrived last night! Ryan wanted to buy it for me anyway or a cheaper alternative if at all possible) and when I found out the website had it for half price, it came sooner than expected.
i never used to be a fan of jaffa flavour but i think it’s something that comes to you when you’re older, like dark chocolate and prunes. lol. Light and moist sounds perfect.
You can offload your desserts to me anytime!
Ladybird: Yeah I agree 🙂
Angie: Making candied orange has got to be one of the easiest things to do really, it’s just cooking orange slices in syrup. It’s so good.
Helen: A perfect cake which I think could be finished in a matter of moments, I’m daydreaming about it now!
FFichiban: You can come to collect them from me anytime… 😛
the cake looks really simple how ever the work behind it require quite alot of steps, wanted to attempt this but until reading up to last bit require blender and don’t have one =( but will keep this in my to cook list =)
Awww… That’s a shame. I guess you can roughly chop up the candied orange and incorporate that into the mixture as well.
Love Jaffa cakes….this looks like it would be right up my street
Kitchen Butterfly: It takes a little effort candying the orange but it’s so worth it!