Chocolate orange marble cake

I have been craving something chocolatey and orangey for a few days now.  I can’t explain this craving beyond I often crave something choc orangey, or indeed choc coffee-y or choc cherry-y.  You get the picture.

Anyway, we have been invited to the neighbours for a curry night tonight so I thought I should take something sweet along with us. I thought about choc orange cupcakes or choc orange biscuits, but then thought about marble cake and decided that this was the way to go.

Marble cake holds good memories for me.  My mum often made it when we were children, especially for birthdays.  She would colour it like a rainbow using red, green and blue food colouring. That’s a tough birthday cake to beat in my view.

To make it extra special I have covered it with ganache, as this makes it more suitable for dessert it seems to me, but this cake is good just plain and unadorned.

200g softened butter
250g caster sugar
4 eggs
100ml milk
the zest and juice of 1 orange
300g plain white flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder mixed with 1½ tbsp warm water

For the ganache:
80g good quality chocolate
80ml double cream

Method
Grease and line a loaf tin that measures 21cm x 11cm x 6cm.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the zest and juice of the orange and beat again to combine.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the milk and beat again.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in gently until well combined.

Spoon half of the mixture into another bowl and then add the cocoa and water mixture  to this half and fold well.

Then spoon blobs of each mixture alternately into the loaf tin and carefully level the top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°c, gas mark 4 or on the middle shelf of the baking oven of the Four-Oven Aga for 45-50 minutes until firm on top and a skewer comes out clean.  Place the tin onto a wire rack and leave the cake in the tin for ten minutes and then turn out of the tin and onto the wire rack until completely cool.

To make the ganache, break the chocolate into a bowl and pour the cream into a small saucepan.  Heat the cream to just under boiling point and then pour onto the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.  Spoon over the top of the cake.

I hope the neighbours like it.  Fingers crossed. I liked that piece I sliced off for the picture, I hope they don’t mind the missing slice.

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23 thoughts on “Chocolate orange marble cake”

  1. Oh wow, the chocolate drizzling off this cake makes you happy just looking at it. I really love this recipe and this post. I have to try making this cake.

  2. Oh my, If I could my index finger would be dipping straight into that lush chocolate topping and then my teeth sinking into that sponge. MMmmmmmm – chocolate and orange – now that is what I call a classic. I prefer it to mint and chocolate any day.

  3. Aha – remember my dilemma between a chocolate and a fruity dessert? Solved!
    Looks great! Will you explain why there is a slice missing? I think all my friends think I am mad photographing everything I cook!

    1. Of course, the perfect dessert for you and hubby both. Fortunately my neighbours know me well and are well used to slices mysteriously going missing (sometimes that is for photography purposes and sometimes because greed has got the better of me).

  4. Oh I just was lamenting having finished the last bit of Xmas chocolate..one of the “orange chocolate ” foil wrapped apples – and
    here just came upon your site and recipe. We love marble cake here
    in NYC!!! especially a snowy cold wet city like today..brrr! Thanks 🙂

    1. Oh Kelly, I am glad to have added a bit of cheer to your cold day. We have had bad snow here over Christmas, but not quite comparable to what you have had over there. Here’s to looking forward to spring.

  5. I shouldn’t have looked – I’m just off to bed and will be dreaming about delicious chocolate cake and waking up in the middle of the night starving! Your cake looks lovely. Hope you enjoyed the curry – feeling rather envious of that too.

  6. I got around to making this a couple days ago and it turned out pretty good – not perfect but that was my own fault – chatting to my friend on the phone (hadn’t talked in months!).

    The flavour is good – next time will add more orange zest and a little more cocoa as well. But despite not watching what I was doing – it tastes great! I love the texture as well – so much better than anything you can buy – homemade is always better 🙂 Will try the chocolate ganache for the top too.

    My husband (American) thought it was ‘pretty good’ and considering he likes the boxed cake mixes that’s praise! Kids loved it.

    Definately one for my list 🙂

    Thanks Kath

  7. Pingback: This is the giant post of boyfriend craft « Crafty and Devious

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