Terry and your chocolate orange, be my valentine!

Valentines, Schmalentines. No one needs an excuse to eat chocolate orange cake. This recipe is adapted from a Mary Berry one I have been using for years. I use this to create 3 layers of a 6” cake as I love a good layer cake but you could just put it into two tins and make a sandwich cake instead. Or multiply the ingredients by 1.34 and that will give you enough for a larger 8” cake.

When it comes to ganache – if it doesn’t thicken melt more milk chocolate and add it in a tablespoon at a time, whisk well and chill for 10-15mins. It should come OK!

Ingredients

Cake

50g stork

50g good quality ‘proper’ butter

90ml boiling water

50g cocoa powder

Zest of 2 large oranges

3 large eggs, room temperature

4 tablespoons milk

175g self raising flour, sifted

250g golden caster sugar

Ganache

100g 70% Lindt chocolate

75g Terry’s Chocolate Orange (around 1/2 an Orange)

50g Dairy Milk Chocolate

150ml Double Cream (try to use fresh, rather than longlife imitations like Emlea)

Method

1. Grease and line 3 6” tins, preheat over to 160oC fan (See notes above if not using 6” tins)

2. Place Butter and sugar in mixer and mixer until pale and creamy

3. Meanwhile add cocoa powder and water in a small bowl to make a thick paste

4. Crack the eggs into a jug and mix lightly with a fork

5. Add the cocoa mixture and orange zest to the sugar and butter, and mix until fully combined

6. Add the flour to the mixer. Pour the eggs into the bowl in a steady stream while mixing on a slow speed

7. Mix until only just fully combined. Don’t over beat

8. Separate the mixture evenly between the tins and cook for 20-25minutes until the cake is springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean

9. Leave to cool completely

For the ganache

10. Put the chocolates and cream in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water making sure the water is not touching the base of the saucepan.

11. Melt the chocolate completely, stirring from time to team. Set aside to cool until it thickens to a spreadable consistency.

For assembly

12. Trim the cake tiers so they are all level and even. Layer the cakes with ganache and then cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining ganache in whatever fashion you so wish. Decorate accordingly with another Terry’s Chocolate Orange!