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DECADENT CHOCOLATE ORANGE MUD CAKE RECIPE
In honour of National Chocolate Cake Day, the Gourmade team presents an irresistible recipe.

An excuse to celebrate!

National Chocolate Cake Day falls on 27 January, and at Gourmade we feel there’s really no better time. We’re a month past Christmas, waiting for the next pay-check and signs of spring while still in the depths of sharp wintry snaps, dark mornings and hard frosts. In short, we need cake in our lives – and what better cake than chocolate?
The team was frankly delighted with the task of taste-testing chocolate cake recipes. We’re all confident you’ll love the recipe we’ve chosen. An easy-to-make, sumptuously gooey orange chocolate mud cake ticks all the boxes for an indulgent dessert, elevenses treat or afternoon pick-me-up. It is definitely worth the calories! If you can bear to part with it, this makes a stand-out celebration cake to gift someone, too.

Even if you don’t have the time or inclination for baking, you shouldn’t miss out on National Chocolate Cake Day. Luckily, Gourmade is on hand with an offer you can’t refuse. On Wednesday, for one day only, we will be sending out free chocolate puddings. Yep, that’s right – you’ll receive either chocolate sponge puddings or a chocolate roulade completely free of charge! Just click here to take up this fantastic offer.

If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to do both. So … Let’s Cook!

 VEGETARIAN   
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Preparation: 15 min
  • Cooking time: 25-30 min
  • Servings: 8
  • Cost: Low
INGREDIENTS
  • Plain flour: 220g
  • Sugar: 60g
  • Eggs: 3
  • Oranges: 3 (40ml juice, 30g peel and zest)
  • Baking soda: 10g
  • Milk chocolate spread: 500g
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 170˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3 (150˚C with a fan oven, but we don’t recommend using the fan setting for cakes, as it can cause a crusty outer layer). Grease a 9in/25cm cake tin (you can also line it if you wish). Separate the egg yolks from the whites,1 retaining both in individual mixing bowls. Beat the egg whites until they form firm peaks. 2 Add the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks 3 and combine thoroughly. 
Squeeze two or three oranges until you have 40ml juice. 4 Retain the peel. Add the orange juice to the sugar and egg yolks, 5 mixing until the consistency is smooth. Add the baking soda and sift the flour, adding it gradually whilst continually beating the mixture until it reaches a silky texture. 6
Next, remove the peel from the oranges, being careful not to retain the pith, and chop finely. 7 Add the chopped peel to the mixture and stir to combine. 8 Add 250g chocolate spread and beat well. 9
Then gently fold in the egg whites 10 (folding rather than stirring will give the cake a silkier texture when baked). 11 Grease a 9in/25cm cake tin (you can also line it if you wish) and once combined, pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. 12

The cake is cooked when a skewer comes out clean. While the cake cools (approx. 30 min), heat the remaining chocolate spread (you can use the oven which will still be hot, use a bain marie or cook in the microwave for short bursts) until it is softened and easy to spread. Pour the heated chocolate onto the cooled cake and use a palette knife to spread evenly and level off. 13 Grate the zest of one or more oranges to decorate, or use candied orange slices. Finally, refrigerate the cake for an hour before serving up a dense, gooey chocolate cake of supreme sticky deliciousness. 14

ALSO TRY …
For a nuttier flavour, replace the chocolate spread with a hazelnut one.
A mud cake traditionally has a denser, smoother consistency than standard cake. If you prefer a fluffier cake, replace the chocolate spread with an extra 100g sugar, 150g softened butter and 65g cocoa powder (or 100g dark chocolate melted using a bain marie). Combine thoroughly with the ingredients before adding the egg whites.

Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! If by any chance chocolate isn’t your thing, Gourmade offers a wonderful selection of desserts you could celebrate with instead – I recommend the Sicilian Lemon Tarts for those who like a tangy citrus palate cleanser, or the Salted Caramel Roulade for those with an extra sweet tooth!