A cake that cheers

Cooking can be great fun. It not only gives you a sense of achievement but is also very therapeutic. I say achievement because when the dish you have cooked turns out good and tasty you do feel as if you have conquered the world. I feel like it even now after so many years in this line. And I say therapeutic because it really helps calm your nerves. Especially when you are feeling bored or lonely or depressed or even nervous – just pick up a bowl and a ladle and churn out something. You will really feel good. Moreover, it is definitely time well spent especially during vacations!

An easy to make cake that is flavoured with chocolate & orange

Chocolate and Orange Cake

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 – 25 minutes
No of servings: should serve 4, but I could easily eat it alone!

Chocolate and Orange Cake

Ingredients:
175 gms grated dark chocolate
5 tbsps orange juice
1 orange
100 gms margarine
225 gms castor sugar
2 eggs
150 gms full fat yogurt
275 gms refined flour (maida)
1 tsp soda bicarbonate (baking soda)

Equipment you will need:
An oven
A mixing bowl
A wooden spoon
A sieve
A grater
An egg beater
A cake tin
A wire rack

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Place margarine in a bowl, add sugar and beat together till light. Break eggs and add to the bowl and mix. Add yogurt and mix. Grate the rind of an orange and add to the mixture. Add orange juice and mix well.
3. Sift refined flour and baking soda into the bowl and mix. Add chocolate and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into a rectangular silicon mould and level the surface.
5. Keep it in the preheated oven and bake. Check after 20 minutes if it is done. If it is not cooked completely, then bake for 5 minutes more.
6. Removed from oven and cool. Remove from the mould, slice and serve.

Know the terms
In baking the term creaming means blending two ingredients – usually granulated sugar with a solid fat like butter. This technique is generally used while making a cake or a cookie dough. In the process the mixture becomes light and fluffy and also increases in volume due to the incorporation of tiny air bubbles. These air bubbles, locked into the semi-solid fat, remain in the final batter and expand during the baking process thus helping to make the cake or the cookie light.

Tech talk
Preheat the oven before putting in the cake to be baked. Switch it on while you are mixing the cake. Grease the tin, then also the lining paper or you can also sprinkle some flour or cocoa powder before pouring in the cake batter into the mould, will definitely make demoulding easier!
A cake is baked when it shrinks slightly away from the edges of the tin, and when touched lightly with a finger will spring back. A clean skewer inserted into it should come out free from particles of cake.

Good health tip
Adding some fruit to baked goods adds a natural flavour that is not possible with synthetic essences. Orange and chocolate are a perfect match in this superb cake.

Try out one more recipe with this great combination (this one is white chocolate and orange) and also tell me about your favourite flavour combinations and recipes that don’t go wrong!

Orange Chocolate Tarts

 

Happy Cooking, Happy Eating!