Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

 

I had some oranges lying around last month (because I used them in my Halloween costume and wasn’t about to let them go to waste!), so I made this orange chocolate chunk cake that Deb Perelman adapted from Ina Garten. This was a hit! This cake is as tasty as it is beautiful. 

I decorated with extra orange zest and decided to store the cake in the fridge because of the ganache, though if you skip that part, room temperature would be fine for a few days. 

For the cake 

½ lb. (2 sticks or 1 cup) lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

finely grated zest from 4 large oranges 

2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar 

4 large or extra-large eggs, at room temperature 

3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour + 2 Tbsp. (15 g) 

½ tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. kosher salt (or ½ tsp. if it’s Morton) 

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges) 

¾ cup lactose-free buttermilk substitute, at room temperature 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 cups (12 oz. or 340 g) semisweet chocolate chunks 

For the syrup 

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar 

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges) 

For the ganache 

8 oz. (225 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate 

½ cup lactose-free cream or substitute 

1 tsp. instant coffee granules (optional) 

For the cake 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. 

Place sugar and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; use fingertips to rub them together (this abrasion helps get the maximum flavor from the zest). Cream the butter and zested sugar together for about 5 minutes, or until light and very fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. 

Sift or whisk 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 to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with remaining 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top. 

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. 

For the syrup 

Meanwhile, 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. 

For the ganache 

Melt the chocolate, 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.