One day, an orange tree and a cacao tree will be bred together and chocolate oranges will grow on trees

It's Frances' birthday party this evening. Frances, as those of you who know her can attest, appreciates good food. So in lieu of a present, I thought I'd bake a cake for her. I have used the recipe from Videojug for this cake.

Chocolate and Orange Cake
Ingredients

For the cake:

• 380g Dark chocolate
• 240g Butter
• 100ml Orange juice
• Zest of one orange
• 5 Eggs
• 100g Caster sugar
• 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
• 100g Plain flour

For the top:

• 200g Dark chocolate
• 150ml Double cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas mark 3.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler and add the orange juice and zest.
3. Whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl and continue to whip until volume doubles.
4. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in until smooth and homogenous
5. Sift the flour and fold into the mixture
6. Pour into a cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Check that it is cooked with a wooden skewer.
7. Turn cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.
8. Scald the cream and pour over the chocolate to make a ganache.
9. Spread the ganache over the top of the (cool) cake and allow to set.

When I did this, it actually took a *lot* longer than 25 minutes. At 25 minutes, it was still liquid. In reality, it took about 1 hour 10 mins in the oven. Here it is straight out of the oven (after step 6):
And here's the finished article:I think it looks pretty good, personally. Now, I'd better get down to the party before it's over!