Cooking time: 40 minutes plus cooling time
ingredients
serves 6 - 8
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 heaped teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
finely grated rind of 2 oranges
1/2 cup orange juice
for the buttercream
4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup sweet butter
3 1/3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons thick cream
method
1. This chocolate and orange cake is filled and topped with a luscious chocolate-flavoured buttercream frosting.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Sift the flour, salt and baking powder. Beat the eggs and sugar together until frothy.
3. Fold in the flour. Gradually beat in the butter, orange rind and orange juice.
4. Divide the cake mixture between two greased 8 - 9 inch cake pans.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed in the centres. Cool 5 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack.
6. Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Melt the chocolate in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat.
7. Cream the butter with half the sugar, then beat in the melted chocolate and the cream. Gradually work in the rest of the confectioners sugar.
8. Sandwich the cold cakes together with about one-third of the buttercream, then use the remainder to cover the top and sides of the cake, fluffing up the cream decoratively.
13 users have helped to rate this recipe.
