Blood Orange Chocolate Cake
 
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • For the Cake
  • ¾ cup brewed coffee
  • 4 blood oranges (1 cup blood orange juice plus zest of two blood oranges)
  • ¼ cup orange liquor
  • 230 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus for dusting your pan
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ tsps baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Blood Orange Syrup
  • 1 blood orange
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsps sugar
  • Chocolate Frosting
  • 100 grams dark chocolate
  • 150 grams softened butter
  • 175 ml powdered sugar
  • 75 grams ml cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • Chocolate Ganache
  • 45 grams butter
  • 50 grams dark chocolate (75%)
  • 20 grams dark chocolate (99%)
  • 20 grams dark orange chocolate
Instructions
  1. For the cake, preheat oven to 325°F/160°C. Butter your cake pans (I used a 7 inch) and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
  2. Heat coffee, orange juice, zest, orange liquor, vanilla, butter, in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until the butter is melted, then whisk in cup of cocoa powder. Remove from heat, then add both kinds of sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool.
  3. While chocolate mixture cools, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then, temper the eggs by pouring a little of the melted cocoa butter mixture to the eggs, whisking, a tablespoon at a time, to gradually warm them. After about 4 tablespoons, add this into cooling chocolate mixture and mix well.
  5. Add the chocolate-egg mixutre to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into the greased and cocoa dusted pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, around 35-40 minutes.
  6. Cool layers completely in pan on a rack and keep aside.
  7. To make the blood orange syrup, pour the blood orange juice in a pan with the water and sugar. Simmer 20 minutes, until water has reduced. Let this cool. Keep aside.
  8. For the chocolate frosting, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and leave to cool.
  9. Whip the butter till light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix well with the butter. Now add the cocoa powder and mix well until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and whip until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
  10. For the chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan mix all ingredients. Bring pan over medium heat until both ingredients dissolves completely. Let cool and use at room temperature. In this way the chocolate will not melt the frosting.
  11. To put the cake together, place one cake layer on a plate or your cake stand. With a brush, cover the surface of the layer with the blood orange syrup, liberally, almost soaking it.
  12. Wait for 3-4 minutes for the liquid to be soaked up by the layer.
  13. Now add a layer of the chocolate frosting and spread over the layer.
  14. Repeat this process with the other 2 layers.
  15. Cover the cake with the frosting. I chose to cover mine minimally therefore forming a naked cake but you could completely cover yours.
  16. Once you're done with the frosting and your ganache is a bit cool pour on top of the cake and let drip on all aides.
Recipe by Box of Spice at https://boxofspice.com/2017/02/blood-orange-chocolate-cake/