11

Choc-orange cake with Jaa buttercream

SERVES 1218 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 3 HRS 15 MINS PLUS DRAINING, COOLING

Classic chocolate and orange form the base for a rich cake capped with an extra-chocolatey icing

and crushed Jaas. Don’t stop at orange: a bergamot base with Earl Grey buttercream makes a

fine variation. Begin this recipe a day ahead to boil the oranges. Pictured p118.

2 large oranges, plus finely

grated zest of 1 orange

Finely grated zest of

1 lemon

300 gm caster sugar

300 gm (2‘⁄“ cups) almond meal

70 gm desiccated coconut

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

2½ tsp baking powder

8 large eggs, beaten

Diced candied orange

peel (optional) and crushed

Jaœas, to serve

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

50 gm dark chocolate

(70% cocoa solids)

250 gm butter, softened

300 gm icing sugar mixture

50 gm Dutch-process cocoa

60 gm (‘⁄¥ cup) sour cream,

whisked to soft peaks

1 Place oranges in a saucepan,

cover with water, and bring

to the boil. Boil, topping

up water if necessary, until

soft (2-2½ hours). Drain in a

colander, then place colander

over a bowl and refrigerate

to drain completely (6 hours

or overnight). Discard seeds,

then purée oranges in a food

processor. Combine orange

and lemon zest with 300gm

orange purée. (Freeze

remainder for another use.)

2 Preheat oven to 140°C.

Grease a 21cm-diameter

springform cake tin and line

base and sides with baking

paper. Combine sugar, almond

meal, coconut, cocoa powder,

baking powder and a pinch

of salt in a large bowl. Add

eggs to orange purée, whisk

to combine, then add purée to

dry ingredients and stir to

combine. Spoon into tin and

bake until cake is firm to touch

and a skewer withdraws clean

(45-50 minutes). Cool in tin

(30 minutes), then turn out

and cool completely. Transfer

to a serving plate.

Berry bundt cake

SERVES 1214 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 40 MINS PLUS COOLING

With their elegant curves and dramatic icing cascading down

the sides, bundt cakes always make an arresting centrepiece.

105 gm butter, softened, plus

extra for greasing

85 gm raw caster sugar, plus

extra for dusting

150 gm caster sugar

60 ml (‘⁄¥ cup) extra-virgin

olive oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

300 gm (2 cups) self-raising flour,

sifted, plus 2 tbsp extra

140 ml buttermilk

240 gm (1½ cups) mixed frozen

berries, larger berries

coarsely chopped

Freeze-dried berries

(optional; see note), to serve

Edible rose petals (optional;

see note), to serve

LEMON ICING

1 tbsp lemon juice

120 gm (¾ cup) pure icing

sugar, sifted

1 Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter

a 2-litre 23cm bundt tin and dust

it with extra raw caster sugar.

Beat butter and sugars in an

electric mixer fitted with the

paddle attachment (5 minutes)

until pale and creamy. Add oil,

beat until flu’y (4-5 minutes),

then add eggs one at a time,

beating until incorporated before

adding the next, then beat in

vanilla. Combine flour and a

pinch of salt in a large bowl. With

a spatula, fold flour into egg

mixture in batches, alternating

with buttermilk, until smooth.

2 Toss frozen berries in extra

flour in a bowl to coat. Add a

third of the batter to prepared

tin and top with half the berries.

Top with another third of the

batter and remaining berries,

then top with remaining batter.

Shake the tin a little to settle

batter, then bake, rotating tin

halfway, until centre springs

back when lightly pressed

(35-40 minutes). Cool in tin

for 10 minutes, then invert onto

a serving plate. Jiggle tin to

loosen and release cake but

leave tin on until cool (1 hour).

3 For lemon icing, combine

lemon juice and sugar in a

bowl and stir until thickened

and white. Drizzle icing over

cake, then top with freeze-dried

berries and rose petals. Cake

will keep refrigerated in an

airtight container for 3 days.

Note Freeze-dried berries

are available from select

supermarkets and grocers,

or online from fresh-as.com.

Edible rose petals are available

from The Essential Ingredient

and online.

3 For chocolate buttercream,

melt chocolate in a bowl over

a saucepan of simmering water

(don’t let bowl touch water).

Beat butter in an electric mixer

fitted with the whisk attachment

until pale and creamy. Sift sugar

and cocoa together into a bowl,

then with the motor running, add

to butter a little at a time, beating

until flu’y. Beat in chocolate,

then fold in sour cream. Transfer

to a piping bag fitted with a

1.3cm plain nozzle and pipe

peaks onto cake. Scatter with

orange peel and Ja’as to serve.

Cake will keep refrigerated in

an airtight container for 5 days.

Note Candied orange peel is

available from The Essential

Ingredient and select

delicatessens.

120 GOURMET TRAVELLER