An easy to bake chocolate orange sponge filled with chocolate orange buttercream. Start by greasing two 8‐9 inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper rounds, grease the parchment and then lightly dust with some cocoa powder. In a large mixing bowl whisk all the dry ingredients together until everything is well incorporated. Then add the eggs, milk, oil, and extracts and beat with a mixer until everything is well incorporated for approximately 2 minutes.

In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the orange juice until just boiled and then pour it in the batter very slowly while you fold and stir the batter by hand. Do this until it’s very well blended. It will be very liquid. Divide batter evenly between both cake pans and bake for approx 40‐50 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick tester comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow cakes to cool on cooling racks for 10‐15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes and invert onto cooking racks to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper when cooled. While cakes cool makes the frosting. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer.

Then add the cocoa powder, hot orange juice, and the extract, if using, and beat until well blended scraping sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and whipped. Refrigerate until firm so that it’s easier to spread. To assemble, place one layer on a serving plate and then frost the top of the first layer, stack the second cake on top of the frosting gently and then frost the top layer as well.

You can leave it rustic like that with two thicker layers of frosting in between layers and on top or you can spread the top layer of frosting bringing down the sides to evenly coat the sides. Either way is delicious. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Frosting gets very soft and gooey at room temperature but is fabulously delicious. Decorate with candied orange slices if you wish and sprinkle cake with shaved dark chocolate. Both of these are optional.

Ingredients;

Cake;

  • 125g softened butter
  • 3⁄4 cup/ 96 g caster sugar
  • 1⁄2/64 g cup icing sugar
  • 1 1⁄4/ 170g cup self-raising flour
  • 1⁄2/ 68 g cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup/ 250 ml milk
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Chocolate orange ganache;

  • 300g thickened cream
  • 1 1⁄2 oranges, zested
  • 350g dark chocolate (54 %), melted

Instructions;

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 22cm-diameter round baking pan with baking paper and set aside.
  2. For the chocolate mud cake place the butter, caster sugar and icing sugar in a stand mixer and beat on medium to high speed until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated.
  4. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb soda, and salt. Pass through a sieve and gradually add into the cream mixture, alternating with the milk.
  5. Mix at low speed and increase the speed for 1 minute then add in the orange zest and vanilla.
  6. Scrape the sides and base of the bowl and mix once more.
  7. Pour out the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean then allow to cool down completely.
  8. To make the ganache, place the cream and orange zest into a saucepan over medium to low heat.
  9. Bring to a gentle simmer and remove from the heat. Allow infusing covered for 10 minutes.
  10. Bring the mixture back to a boil and strain. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the melted chocolate, whisking after each addition until it is fully incorporated.
  11. Allow to cool down slightly until a spreadable consistency.
  12. To assemble, place the cooled cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a generous amount of chocolate orange ganache over the cake and decorate as you wish.