Chocolate Orange Cake recipe

Chocolate Orange Cake….what is there not to love?

According to one study, melting chocolate in your mouth is results in more of an increase in heart rate and brain activity than passionate kissing.  Other research suggests that it can have a number of positive health effects including lowering blood pressure, can boost your memory and even increase your sex drive. So, for this fortnight’s Cookbook challenge, with the theme of Love, I decided to make Nigella Lawson’s Gluten Free Chocolate Orange cake.

This chocolate orange cake recipe is deliciously moist, thanks to the almond meal (making it gluten free), 2 whole oranges (yes, whole) and 6 eggs.  Nigella’s flourless choc orange cake is also supremely easy to make as it’s all done in the food processor. Yay for simple cakes!

I then decorated the cake with a chocolate orange glaze and surrounded the cake with Orange D’Anvers segments.

One bite of this Chocolate Orange Cake and you will fall in love.

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Chocolate Orange Cake recipe

Recipe from Feast by Nigella Lawson. Chocolate Orange Glaze recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 432 kcal

Author Jennifer Schmidt

Ingredients

• 1 large orange or 2 small weighing approximately 375g
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon heaped of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 200 g of ground almonds
• 250 g of caster sugar
• 50 g of good quality cocoa
• CHOCOLATE ORANGE GLAZE
• 6 ounces of dark chocolate
• 1 cup of cream
• 1 teaspoon of Cointreau

Instructions

1. Put the oranges in a saucepan with cold water and bring to the boil before reducing the heat and simmering for 2 hours, or until soft. Drain the water and set aside to cool. When cool, cut the oranges in half and remove any large pips.
2. Grease a 20cm springform pan and preheat the oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
3. Pulp the orange in a food processor before adding the eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar and cocoa and processing until you have a smooth batter, but still flecked with orange.
4. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 1 hour. Check the cake after 45 minutes as you may need to cover it with foil to prevent burning before the cake is cooked through.
5. Let the cake cool in the tin before removing.
6. For the glaze, chop the chocolate into small pieces and place into a bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat until almost boiling and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Let it stand for 5 minutes before stirring until smooth. Let it stand for 10 minutes before decorating the cake.

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Orange Cake recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 432 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 27g 42%

Sodium 112mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 45g 15%

Protein 9.8g 20%

Vitamin A 16%

Vitamin C 12%

Iron 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.