Wednesday 1 July 2009

Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

This month I've decided to switch my monthly baking challenge allegiance over to Sweet and Simple Bakes as the recipe on offer this month looked too good to pass up. It's not a recipe I've come across previously but just the name was enough to tell me I was going to like it.


The chosen recipe this month was for Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake and I think the name tells you all you need to know! And what a great recipe this is. The addition of orange zest and the orange syrup to what is basically a plain sponge recipe adds an enormous amount of flavour and, as you would expect, the chocolate is a perfect partner for the orange.

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Loaf Cake

For the cake
175g/6oz softened butter
175g/6oz caster sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
Finely grated zest of two oranges
175g/6oz self raising flour
2 tbsp milk
For the orange syrup
Juice of 1 orange
100g/4oz granulated sugar (although I just used caster sugar again)
For the topping
50g/2oz dark or milk chocolate (I used dark and was glad I did)
Sprinkles of your choice (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4

2) Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in until fully incorporated. Add the orange zest, flour and milk and fold in gently with a spatula or metal spoon.

3) Pour the mixture into a greased/lined 900g/2lb loaf tin and bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. When cool make little holes in the cake for pouring the syrup into.

4) Make the syrup by putting the orange juice and syrup into a pan and heating gently until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for a couple of minutes. Pour the syrup over the top of the cake. The leave the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin.

5) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. When melted spread it over the top of the cake. Smooth with a spatula or make patterns with the prongs of a fork. Add sprinkles if required. Leave the chocolate to cool before cutting the cake.

14 comments:

  1. Hi Helen, a very warm welcome to S&SB monthly baking event. We are SO pleased you have joined us this month!

    Your drizzle cake looks sensational and I adore those sprinkles, you can’t beat a little bling-bling on a bake ;0)

    I do hope you will join us again next month in our new bake.

    Best wishes Rosie x

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  2. A very nice looking cake. Drop by and have a look at mine.

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  3. that looks delicious! we loved it!

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  4. Ooooh, the way the chocolate looks like it's oozing over the edge makes your cake look positively lush!

    I see you use the little silicone baking liners too - I only used these for the first time when making my loaf. I turned one out to cool and the cake came out and the paper stayed wedged in the pan - colour me impressed!

    Anyhow, I digress, hehe. Your cake came out a treat and looks lovely :)

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  5. i like the way your chocolate is dripping from the cake...

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  6. The sprinkles and the chocolate drips, make it look delish.
    Great job!

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  7. This looks gorgeous!!

    I went for milk chocolate on mine but I think I'll have to bake it all over again just to try out the dark chocolate.

    Just for the sake of comparison you understand...;)

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  8. the cake looks delicious.

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  9. Half a pot of cream....yum. Your cake looks good displayed in the white paper liner.

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  10. Hi Helen

    Welcome to Sweet and Simple Bakes!

    Your cake turned out beautiful and delicious.

    Thanks for taking part and hope you will join us again.

    Maria
    x

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  11. I love the drips also. Isn't it funny what makes a cake look more luscious and yours certainly does.

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  12. This recipe looks lovely - I will definitely be trying it out.
    Shirl x

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