I love a chocolate orange. Preferably a whole one, all to myself. One of the strangest things about my husband is that he doesn’t like them at all. This is however actually a positive trait, at Christmas time it means I get to eat his as well.

I also like cake. A lot. Imagine my joy when I discovered you can make a cake that is essentially like a giant chocolate orange only with the added bonus of sponge and buttercream icing. Yum.

Not just restricted to the festive period (I’m thinking any special occasion, or frankly just any excuse for a delicious treat with a cup of tea) this is a fairly easy recipe, and especially useful should you invite somebody round for aforementioned cup of tea who doesn’t like chocolate orange either. All the more for you in that case. This is in no way a healthy or low calorie option, but as with everything, all in moderation and a little of what you fancy does you good…

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{The Ingredients}

For Cake:

  • 225g unsalted butter
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g self raising flour
  • 200g milk or orange chocolate
  • 1 orange – juice and zest

For Buttercream:

  • 100g butter
  • 100g icing sugar
  • Zest and juice of half an orange

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Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius
  2. Combine the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Much easier with a hand mixer but can be done with a good old fashioned wooden spoon.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
  4. Sift in the flour and fold in to the mixture. Would recommend this is done by hand and be careful not to overbeat as this can make your cake more dense.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips, orange juice and zest.
  6. Divide the mixture between two 8inch greased and lined sandwich tins.
  7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until light and golden on top. A skewer inserted in the cake should come out clean.
  8. Take out the tins and leave to cool on a rack.
  9. Mix together the icing sugar, butter and orange until light and fluffy.
  10. Spread the buttercream over one cake and place the other on top.
  11. You can finish with a drizzle of icing if you like made with icing sugar and the juice from the remaining orange half.

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