Treats on Thursday ~ Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

~Treats on Thursday ~

“The National Trust Traditional Tea Time Recipes Cookbook”

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

~ Thursday 28th July 2011 ~ Old St Kenelm’s Day, Worcestershire, England

~ Jeudi 28 Juillet 2011 ~ St Samson

Ihave a dark secret ~ as dark as very dark chocolate! I have to confess ~ I am NOT a sweetie lover, don’t get me wrong, I do eat and I DO like chocolate, cakes, biscuits and toffees etc, but no way can I be classed as a “chocoholic” and furthermore I will always gravitate to the savouries at a party! In fact, I have to admit to you all that I could eat a whole buffet table of sausage rolls and come back for the cheese straws! However, I DO love a good sponge cake, or a pile of freshly baked scones ~ or an apple pie ~ I DO like desserts and cakes and bakes, but not all the time. But, when the mood takes me, I MUST have something sweet, and that is when I turn to my trusty “National Trust Traditional Tea Time Recipes” cookbook (by Jane Pettigrew) to try a new and naughty but obviously very nice sweet treat! 

Whilst perusing this wonderful book the other night in bed, one of my favourite pastimes ~ reading cookbooks in bed ~ I came across this recipe, “Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake”. Now I LOVE citrus cakes, especially lemon drizzle cake and I also love chocolate with oranges ~ there is a reason why I buy everyone a Terry’s Chocolate Orange for their Christmas stocking every year ~ even those who don’t like them (tehehe!) ~ so this seemed the ideal treat to make; plus, I had oranges and some lovely 85% dark chocolate. And, surely a couple slices of this cake must count towards my “5 a day” too, don’t you think, like having my cake and eating it! (Nice try!)

 So, I made the cake today, and it was brilliant ~ even Malcolm my husband (who is not a sweet eater at all) loved it ~ he said it was just the right amount of rich chocolate to tangy citrus and that the cake was moist but NOT soggy, as often happens with drizzle cakes. Result! I can heartily recommend this cake (and book) to you all…..it was easy to make and in an uncanny way, the cake does taste a little like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, without the “tap it and unwrap it” element! Mine was a little different to the rather elegant photo above, greed and the whiff of unadulterated cocoa beans took over, and having confessed to not being a chocoholic earlier on, I did actually use more chocolate then was called for in the recipe, AND added chocolate curls too……..so,my chocolate drizzle was more of a covering with curly bits, but if you like that look, go for it! 

We devoured several, I mean one slice of this cake with a cuppa tea in the afternoon and I am already plotting my next dégustation session……..maybe with a dollop of cream or a drizzle of orange liqueur would be a good idea too, don’t you think? Okay,back to the recipe, here is the wonderful and lush Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake recipe ~ do try it, it really is very good!

The National Trust Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

(Serves 8 to 10)

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 ozs (150g) softened butter

6 ozs (150g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)

6 ozs (150g) self raising flour

3 large eggs, beaten

grate rind from 2 oranges

2 tablespoons milk

(7″ to 8″ round cake tin ~ greased and lined)

Drizzle:

Juice from 2 oranges

2 ozs (50g) sugar

2 ozs (50g) good quality chocolate (I used 85% solids)

Chocolate curls, optional

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C/350F. 

2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. 

3. Gradually add the beaten eggs and flour, alternately, mixing well in between.

4. Add the grated orange rind and mix well before adding the milk to make a soft dropping consistency.

5. Pour the cake mixture into a greased and lined tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until risen and light golden brown; test the centre of the cake with a skewer, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

6. Cool in the tin.

7. Make the orange drizzle; gently heat the orange juice and sugar together in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. 

8. When the cake has cooled, pour the orange drizzle over the cake in the tin. When the cake is completely cold, take it out of the tin and place it on a serving plate.

9. Heat the chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat, do not allow to boil, and as soon as it has melted, drizzle the chocolate over the cake, using a fork to make patterns.Then decorate with chocolate curls if using.

Serve a slice or three with a pot of tea………….

I am sure this will keep very well in an airtight tin for up to 5 days…..of you have any left…….

This cake is wonderfully moist and not at all soggy, as some drizzle cakes can be, it also has a very light crumb.

Enjoy!

See you later, 

Karen