Chocolate-Orange Cake

Submitted by Shoga-chan

"I love this cake for several reasons. I love chocolate and orange together, I love cake in general, and sometimes I like to cook without eggs or other high-allergen foods just to keep my game up, although this cake does require yogurt so probably can't be made vegan . I found the original recipe on a blog by Shyamala Ramanathan-Edwards http://srefoodblog.blogspot.com/, who based her recipe on one from the eggless baking book by Cintia Stammers, published by the Bhaktivedanta Trust. Then I put chocolate in it. I have never made the orange-sultana (raisin) filling, instead using (eggless) orange curd such as http://www.recipezaar.com/fresh-orange-curd-357753 and/or chocolate ganache."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 1⁄4 cups plain flour
• 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder (to taste for chocolate intensity)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 cup sunflower oil
• 3⁄4 cup caster sugar
• 1⁄4 cup yogurt
• 3⁄4 cup orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• Orange-sultana filling

• 1 1⁄4 cups icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1⁄2 cup golden sultana raisins
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
• 2 tablespoons apricot brandy (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• two pinches orange food coloring (optional)

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
2. Lightly grease an 8" round baking pan.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder.
4. In another bowl, cream together the oil, sugar and yogurt.
5. Add the juice, orange zest and flour; mix well and pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes or till the cake tests done; let it remain in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.
7. When the cake is completely cool, split it in half horizontally.
8. To make the filling, put the sultanas, orange juice and apricot brandy in a small microwaveable bowl.
9. Cover with clingfilm, poke a hole in the top and microwave it for 2-1/2 minutes. Let cool, then puree the sultanas - either smooth or coarsely
10. Pour the pureed sultanas into a mixing bowl, and add the orange food colouring (if using), the vanilla extract and orange zest and mix well.
11. Add the sifted icing sugar carefully and beat till the mixture is fairly thick, adding more icing sugar if required to make it spreadable but still firm.
12. Spread the filling on one half of the cooled split cake and top with the other half.
13. Sift icing sugar thickly over the top (perhaps vanilla sugar pulsed in the blender to make vanilla icing sugar).
14. Serve with a cup of strong coffee.
15. As an alternative to the orange-sultana filling, split cake and fill with thick orange curd (lemon curd with 50% or more orange juice), then top with ganache.
16. Non-chocolate eaters will find this delicious without the cocoa, adding another 1/4 cup of flour.