This has become not only my favorite cake to eat, but also my favorite cake to make! I've made it twice in a two week time period now...the first was for our weekly dinner party with Josh and Katrina Welch, and our new friend Ed, and the second time was yesterday for Father's Day.Let me tell you....it is all kinds of tastiness! I discovered it on one of the sites I frequent (click here) and have posted the recipe below for anyone who may want to taste how AMAZING it is! There are quite a few steps to it, and it takes awhile to make, but I promise, it is ABSOLUTELY worth the time and effort!
Ina Garten’s Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake
From Barefood Contessa Parties!
1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup grated orange zest (from 4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks
Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Ganache:
8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
***My Personal Note: This recipe makes a ton of ganache, so I'm pretty sure you could cut that part in half and still have plenty to cover the entire cake!
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.
3. Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pan, set it on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.
5. For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
