A classic chocolate cake, layered with whipped citrus cream cheese frosting and topped with a dusting of sugar and candied oranges. It is a simple, elegant cake that is sure to make a statement this Valentine's Day.
I’m going to admit that I’ve wanted to a do a post like this for quite some time, essentially ‘A Day in the Life’ sort of bit, and for a few reasons. First and foremost is the pure self-indulgence of the process. Second, however, is to give a small glimpse into the sites day to day for those who may be unfamiliar with the process.
At approximately half passed midnight, we learned about a very special occasion that we needed to prepare a special dessert for a certain occasion, one that I will certainly be telling you about in the very near future. The clincher – this was a sudden, last minute affair, and we only had about eighteen hours to prepare. While the task was daunting, the blogger in me realized this made for an excellent posting opportunity.
After all, to quote Hyman Roth from the Godfather, “This is the business we have chosen.”
What ensued were several hours of on the spot planning for a dessert concept that we needed to peg into a Valentine’s Day setting. Despite the harsh winds, snow and ice of our locale, we needed to come up with something warm and inviting, something simple and romantic. In other words, something in complete contrast to the world around us – and we needed to do it quick.
Despite having already put together a couple of Valentine’s themes over the past month, by sunrise we still had only a vague idea of what we were going to create, with ideas ranging from a cannoli cheesecake to dark chocolate cupcakes. Regardless, and with no set idea of what we wanted to do, I was left with no choice but to brave the ice and the wind, and head to my local supermarket in order to hunt for ingredients for an as of yet to be decided recipe. I thought perhaps that browsing the shelves would help narrow down the decision.
Where I shop, patrons are greeted with a counter of fresh-baked goods, and I was instantly drawn to a selection of candied strawberries set over chocolate-chocolate cake. Resisting hungry temptation, I moved along into the produce department where I instantly noted a pyramid of picture-worthy oranges.
No, things did not click...yet.
During about thirty or so minutes of uninspired browsing, my mind kept returning to the excellent selection of oranges, and the fresh baked cakes. Yes, then it clicked. Orange flavor is a universally perfect complement to chocolate, and such picturesque oranges would also lend themselves to an exquisite garnish.
From there, and over the course of hours of baking, the rest of this creation essentially ‘wrote itself.’ What we ended up with was a rich chocolate cake with an absolutely decadent cream cheese based frosting, infused with orange essence, and then garnished with chocolate dipped candied orange slices. As pleasing to the eye as to the palette, and while perfect for any occasion, this chocolate cake will be certain to turn your Valentine’s Day into a night to remember.
Needless to say, the end result exceeded our expectations, and made the entire effort a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Then again, we really had no choice as to outcome, since “this is the business we have chosen.”
Classic Chocolate Cake & Candied Orange Slices
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
Candied Orange Slices:
- 1 Orange (I used navel oranges for this recipe)
- Water
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
Classic Chocolate Cake:
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup sour milk (1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon cider vinegar)
- 1/2 cup hot coffee
Orange Infused Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons orange infused simple syrup, or plain simple syrup (note: refer to the directions for the Candied Orange Slices for infused simple syrup)
- 1 heaping tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
Candied Orange Slices:
- Thinly slice your orange, then cut each slice in half.
- Place orange halves in a small sauce pot with enough water to cover the orange. Bring to a boil, about 5-7 minutes. Drain.
- Return the orange slices to the same sauce pot with just enough water to cover them, about 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup sugar. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until the orange skins are nice and tender. The syrup should almost be cooked down.
- Gently transfer the orange slices to a plate, leaving a little space between each slice. Reserve the syrup for the cream cheese frosting (see below).
- Freeze the orange slices for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepared your chocolate dip and almonds.
- Ground 1/2 cup almonds in the food processor. Set aside.
- In a double broiler, melt down the dark chocolate and shortening, until smooth. Remove from the heat immediately, so ensure the chocolate does not seize.
- Remove the candied oranges from the freezer. Dip each slice in the chocolate then the ground almonds. Place on a new plate (if the other has syrup otherwise this will make the almond coating soggy) and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Classic Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease two 8 1/2 inch cake tins. The sift about 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa powder on the bottom of each pan. Pat each pan to shift the cocoa powder so that the entire inside of the pan in lined in the cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together sugar, softened butter, eggs, vanilla and sour milk until smooth and incorporated.
- It is important to continually whisk (or if using a stand mixer, keep on low speed) as you add the hot coffee, so not to scramble the eggs in the batter. As soon as the coffee is mixed in, add the flour and cocoa mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Continue to mix until a thick batter forms.
- Divide the batter equally between the two prepared cake pans. Lightly tap your cake pans against the counter a few times to ensure you avoid air pockets in your finished cakes.
- Bake for about 25-28 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
- Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pans.
Orange Infused Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Combine all ingredients for the frosting in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix until all is well incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
Assembly:
- Once the cakes have cooled, gently turn out of the pans. Using a long serrated knife, slice each in half, horizontally.
- **To ensure a even, level cake, I sliced the top off of each cake before I divided them.
- On a cake plate, place the bottom of one of the cakes down first. Spread generously and evenly with the citrus frosting. Place the other half of the cake, top-down, and add an equal amount of frosting to this layer. Top again with the bottom half of the second cake and finish off the rest of the frosting. Complete the cake with the final half. Dust with powdered sugar. Sprinkle chopped almonds if desired in the center and then garnish with the candied orange slices.
Notes
Chocolate Cake adapted from King Arthur[br][br]**For added garnish, dip strawberries or any other fruit/berry on hand. Roll in ground almonds or sprinkle with course sea salt like I did!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Enjoy with Love.
Post by Michael Pappas
Recipe by Catherine Pappas
Photos by Tammy Pappas
mia xara says
Beautiful cake, I love chocolate and orange, they're great together! Happy Valentine's Day!
Rocio says
Wonderfull recipe!!!!
Rocio says
Wonderful Recipe!!!
Del's cooking twist says
Drooling! I love the combo chocolate-orange, and in this cake it's just like a dream. Beautiful and very tempting, really!
Sarah says
Stunning.
Culinary Flavors says
It is absolutely mouthwatering and totally decadent!
Suzy @ The Mediterranean Dish says
Wow! I can't believe how quickly you pulled this off. Love the oranges!
Comedy Plus says
The three of you rock. This post is well written, the photography is exceptional and the recipe is fabulous. What a team you are.
Have a terrific day and weekend. 🙂
tanna says
Pure decadence!! =) blessings ~ tanna
FABBY says
Beautiful cake and it must be to die for too!
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Happy Valentine's.
FABBY
Big Daddy Dave says
Hi All... This is a great looking cake...moist and rich with that citrus twist to provide an extra surprise for the taste buds! Have a terrific Valentine's Day... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
I adore oranges & chocolate! This cake is simply beautiful - perfect for a celebration!
kita says
I can never get enough valentines themed desserts 😉 But really, it's cuz I just love dessert... and beautiful creations like this stunning cake. Those oranges look perfect.
April J Harris says
What a gorgeous cake! I would so love a slice of this!!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
A very beautiful chocolate cake and I love the combination of orange and chocolate.
Ginny Hartzler says
It is mouth watering! You are liking a pioneer woman, braving the weather to get provisions!!
Pam says
And, indeed this cake does make a statement! It's gorgeous and I love the dark colors with the orange, and the taste has to be out of this world. You guys are quite a team and never cease to amaze. Thanks for the great recipe! Kudos to you all! Happy Valentine's Day!
Dottie Sauchelli-Balin says
Dear, Catherine, Tammy, and Michael...
The most delicious cake I have seen in a long time...it looks so pretty especially with the added strawberries and the chocolate covered oranges! All three of you make such a wonderful team, you all have a very important part in your ventures. One compliments each other, that is what makes it work. Such a romantic cake, from the bottom to the frosting. Just beautiful, I want a slice right now...it is so inviting. I also love the flavor combination of chocolate with oranges. Outstanding...I hope and wish all three of you a fun and loving Valentine's Day weekend. Thank you for sharing all of your talents...
Dottie 🙂
Gloria says
Look georgeous!! I love orange and chocolate always is amazing!!
Love this!!
sandie says
That cake looks like HEAVEN!!!
Medeja says
Orange and chocolate.. so yummy! Happy Valentine's day 🙂
Allie | Baking a Moment says
Such a beautiful cake! I love the flavors and I love all the LOVE that went into it. <3
Roz @ La Bella Vita Cucina says
What an absolutely beautiful cake! Irresistable Catherine! I imagine the flavor is intoxicating! Happy Valentine's Day . . . xoxoxo,
Roz
Louise says
You "guys" are truly the best. When all that talent and creativity streams together, oh gosh, one never knows what masterpiece will emerge. Of course a last minute special ocassion is most certainly going to add that touch of creative pressure, lol...I can't wait to hear of the ocassion. (although, I know someone's birthday is next month but that wouldn't be a surprise now would it:)
You have brought Classic Chocolate Cake to a whole new level with this recipe Catherine. Isn't it funny how it took a few run throughs for it to click. Michale's post is on spot adding just enough tension and Tammy, well, the images are spectacular!!!
I'll be saying nighty night after seeing this post (half past midnight is not something I do these days:) However, I will probably be dreaming about this cake:) Thank you so much for sharing...Wishing you all a beautiful, warm Valentine's Day this "Day in the Life."
Chiara says
What a gorgeous cake Catherine, really delicious ! Have a good day, happy Valentine's day ! a hug, xoxo
la cucina di Molly says
Complimenti Catherine, la torta è bellissima oltre che golosa, perfetta per festeggiare l'amore! Buon S. Valentino, un abbraccio!
Marla says
Wow Chocolate cake - everyone's favorite -especially mind when I was a kid. Love your orange zest that you added. Thanks for sharing on Real food Fridays. Pinned & twitted.
Choc Chip Uru says
I love this delicious chocolate cake, the oranges are a very classy touch 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Betty says
Orange and chocolate is one of my husband's favorite flavor combos- He'd LOVE this cake! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Oh my goodness gracious me what I would have given for a slice of this yesterday! It's BEAUTIFUL and perfect for Valentines - I love it! Alas, I'm trying to shed a few pounds so I had to settle for 3 lindor after my evening workout (once I'd earned the calorie credits!) 🙂 You have a beautiful blog, and I love the teamwork between you all!
The Giggles a Family says
It's the candied orange slides that got me. Going to have to try those. Subscribed in Bloglovin too for more! #recipeoftheweek
Polka Dot Food says
This sounds delicious, the perfect afternoon tea treat
Kim says
Looks like the perfect cake when your in the need to eat chocolate:)
Connie @ Sprig and Flours says
Lovely post. It's very nice to read about what goes on behind the scenes of a business. The cake is absolutely stunning and very creative.
Zainab says
Oh my gosh!! This is just decadent and I love chocolate with citrus.
Solya says
Oh, this cake looks so delicious! I love love love it:)
Elizabeth says
Oh my! Those candied oranges look decadent! I have never made them, but am definitely going to give it a try. thank you for linking up at Snickerdoodle. Hope to see you again! Pinned.
Mariet - Practicingnormal says
This looks divine. I'm not sure I have the skill to make this recipe but it makes my mouth water.
#WinedWednesday
Stephanie says
Wow! This looks absolutely divine! How I wish I could reach into the computer and take a bite 🙂 So glad you shared this at Roses of Inspiration. Enjoy your weekend!
Joy @ Yesterfood says
Breathtaking, just incredible. Elegant and indulgent. I love the combination or orange and chocolate, so this caught my eye right away. The candied oranges themselves would have been a beautiful post; all together, it's simply jaw-dropping. Thank you so much for sharing this with is at Treasure Box Tuesday- pinned! 🙂
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
This cake looks like a perfect way to end a meal, how delicious. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Stephanie says
Good morning! I just wanted to let you know this divine cake has been featured at Roses of Inspiration today - thanks for sharing at the party last week 🙂 Enjoy your day!
Tanya Anurag says
Yum! We have featured you on Wake Up Wednesday Linky Party. Hop over to check and to grab the Featured Button. http://tanyaanurag.blogspot.com/2015/02/wake-up-wednesday-linky-57.html
-Tanya
Stacey Guilliatt says
Oh my this looks divine... #recipeoftheweek
Diane says
Hello,
Just wanted to let you know we have a brand NEW spin-off of the #PureBlogLove link party. I would love for you to drop by and see all the new changes we have made for better interaction with the bloggers.
We run every Thursday @ 8 pm est on http://www.homemadefoojunkie.com through the weekend. Come celebrate with us on the NEW Pinterest Party where bloggers pin their established Pinterest pins to our link party.
Rocio says
Wonderful recipe!!!!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Dear Catherine, I do so adore the combo of chocolate and orange and you have pulled them together beautifully in this decadent cake - and with such little time to prepare too!
Christina | Christina's Cucina says
What a stressful, but exhilarating experience to have this outcome after only 18hrs notice! Perfect for the occasion, and I personally, ADORE chocolate with orange flavors! Great job, Catherine!
Heather Kinnaird says
I absolutely love orange and chocoalte together. what a stunning last minute dessert
Maria says
This photography is absolutely stunning!
Beverly says
Wow this cake looks incredible. Almost too yummy to eat.
Bev