RECIPE | CHOCOLATE ORANGE LOAF CAKE

Requested to make some cake for some ex-office buddies when visiting them last week I asked them what they would like in advance. A chocolate orange cake was the order and I set to work to make a delightfully moist but easily transportable cake as it would be venturing round in my handbag all day through various meetings and train journeys... et voila, the handbag proof cake of choice, the chocolate orange loaf cake!

Ingredients:

Cake:

150g Butter

160g Caster Sugar

Zest of 2 Oranges

2 Eggs

3tbsp Golden Syrup

40g Cocoa Powder

3tbsp Boiling Water

150g Plain Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

100g Chopped Milk Chocolate or Chocolate Chips

Juice of 1 Orange

Icing:

100g Milk Chocolate

Instructions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin (or two 1lb loaf tins) with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and the sugar together until fluffy and light in colour. Add the orange zest, eggs and golden syrup and continue to beat until combined.

3. In a separate bowl or mug, add the hot water to the cocoa powder and mix until a smooth paste is formed. Add this to the other wet ingredients and then fold in the flour and baking powder.

4. Carefully fold in the milk chocolate or chocolate chips and loosen with the juice of the orange.

5. Pour into the baking tin and place in the centre of your oven to bake for 40-50 minutes.

6. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.

7. Once cooled, melt the chocolate for the icing and drizzle it over the cake and leave to set.