Have you ever boiled an orange? I think it's high time you tried it :-) One day I came across a recipe that used a boiled orange, but it looked a bit dull, so I reworked it to my own taste. I added chocolate, since I love how it pairs with orange, and replaced the pricey almonds with dry cookies (this ingredient is added not for flavor, but for extra structure). I think you could easily substitute plain flour and it would still taste great. I wasn't sure whether to call this creation a pie, a cake, or a pudding. But since the batter is prepared using the cake method, let's call it a cake — though I want to point out that it bears little resemblance to a traditional cake. It has a very delicate, "velvety" flavor, which is exactly why I named it that. The cake is slightly springy, dense and soft at the same time, very moist, melts in your mouth, with a rich yet delicate orange flavor and aroma. My husband ate three slices right away, which is really unlike him, so I'd say the experiment was a success — this cake turned out absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 orange (≈250-300 g)
- 150 g sugar
- 150 g butter
- 100 g flour
- 50 g dry crackers, ground almonds, or white breadcrumbs (or substitute with flour)
- 50 g dark chocolate
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
How to cook chocolate orange "Velvet" cake
Thoroughly wash the orange, place it in a pot, and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat with the lid on for 1.5–2 hours. A properly boiled orange is what gives the cake all its necessary juiciness and moisture, so don't skip this step.
Using an immersion blender, thoroughly blend the orange (including the peel) into a smooth, uniform purée.
Transfer half of the batter to a separate bowl. Add the pre-melted and cooled chocolate to the remaining half, and beat to combine.
Using the handle end of a spoon, make a few random swirling motions to lightly swirl the two batters together. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 40–50 minutes.
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