I love a good moist chocolate cake but how many times do you bite into a slice
that looks moist but ends up being quite dry and crumbly. I’ve been researching Chocolate Cakes for quite a while now and think that this recipe for Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake ticks all the boxes. Rich, moist, flavoursome and most importantly delicious. So dust off your Bundt tins and give it a try. Although this recipe uses a 23 cm Bundt tin, you can split the mixture into two 23cm cake tins, cook for less time (approx 30/35 minutes) and then sandwich them together.
To boost the flavour of the Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake I used a 100g bar of Fairtrade Dark Orange Chocolate from the Co-op topped up to 250g with Callebaut 54% Dark Chocolate Callets. This combination gives a rich chocolate flavour without being too bitter. I also used Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil but this can be substituted for any rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable oil.
Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
250g dark chocolate (I used a 100g bar Dark Orange Chocolate & 150g of 54% dark chocolate)
250g unsalted butter – cubed (plus some for greasing)
150ml fresh orange juice and zest of 2 oranges
150g self raising flour
175g plain flour
350g caster sugar
125ml buttermilk
4 large eggs
30g cocoa powder (plus some for dusting)
40ml rapeseed oil
half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Ganache
200g dark chocolate
100ml double cream
50g unsalted butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 140c fan
Melt a small amount of butter in the microwave and with a pastry brush grease the inside of the bundt tin. After greasing the tin lightly dust the inside with some cocoa powder. This helps to prevent the cake sticking.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put into a saucepan with butter and orange juice.
Gently melt the chocolate and butter over a low heat until you have a smooth, silky chocolate sauce. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, orange zest and buttermilk.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the bowl in the flour and pour in the egg mixture and fold in gently until everything is combined. The mixture will be very stiff but try not to overwork it.
Next add in half of the cooled chocolate sauce and fold in until everything is combined together then pour in the second half and repeat.
Once all the ingredients are combined pour the cake mixture into the prepared Bundt tin. Carefully place into the oven and cook for 1hour 15 minutes. After this time a cake skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean, if not cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place the tin onto a cooling rack. Cover the cake with a tea towel and leave in the tin until the tin is completely cool. Once the tin is cool gently remove the cake from the tin. If the bottom of the cake is too round simply take a carving knife and trim the bottom so it is flat.
To make the ganache place all the ingredients into a saucepan and melt over a low heat. Stir until smooth and all the chocolate has melted.
Leave to cool so that the ganache thickens, stir briskly whilst it is cooling. When the ganache is at room temperature it can be put into the fridge to speed up the thickening process. Once it has reached the desired thickness spread or drizzle the ganache over the cake. I then added a few decorations on top.
Treat yourself to a generous slice of this moist, delicious Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake.
Serves 8-10