Friday's Kitchen: Frugal Fall 'Zesty Chocolate Orange Ganache Cake'

I'm not going to lie - if any of you were following my feed on Twitter or Facebook yesterday, you would have noticed a not particularly pleasant Miss Peachy.  I had a bad baking day - we all have them!  But, never one to be easily defeated - the second attempt was a slow but sure triumph! Not bad for my first attempt at ganache..

You may be aware that today marks a great charity event by Macmillan, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning.  Everyone is encouraged to take part in a coffee morning to raise money for Macmillan - whether it's a local community or just having a few friends round to your house.  I decided to donate a cake to be sold in aid of Macmillan at my friend, Beth's, Kiosk in Sherwood.  She will also be donating a percentage of her drinks sales to the charity.  

I wanted to bake a really simple crowd pleaser - something that would work with Beth's lovely creations but would be a surefire hit to raise money.  So I came up with a recipe for a Zesty Chocolate Orange Ganache Cake.  A rich, chocolatey cake with hints of orange and a think ganache frosting.  The results (second time around) were really fantastic!  I hope you decide to give it a try - and if you are free, why not pop along to a Macmillan Coffee Morning event near you?

Ingredients
280g Caster Sugar
200g Self Raising Flour
80g Salted Butter
Pinch Salt
2 Large Eggs
80g Cocoa Powder
240ml Semi-Skimmed Milk
Zest of Two Small Oranges
250g Dark Chocolate
300ml Double Cream 

Method
Firstly, in a saucepan, melt your double cream and 200g of chocolate (chopped) until combined.  Remove from heat and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.  The ganache should look smooth and glossy - set aside in a bowl to cool and thicken for covering later.

Preheat your oven to 180C and, in a mixing bowl, mix your sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and butter in a mixing bowl until it resembles a sandy consistency (by hand or using a mixer).

In a separate jug, whisk your milk and eggs until combined and add most of it to the dry mixture.  Once combined, add the remaining milk mixture and mix until smooth.

Add in the zest of one orange and the remaining chopped chocolate to the mix.  Pour into a prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Once the sponge is baked through but springy, remove and place on a wire rack to cool.  When cooled, using a palette knife, spread the chocolate ganache evenly on the cake top and sides until completely covered in an even layer.  Sprinkle the remaining orange zest on the top.

Happy Baking! As ever - I love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and if you give this recipe a go, be sure to upload your results onto my Facebook page!