Orange and Passion Fruit Chocolate Cake
This post is sponsored by Tate & Lyle Sugars
It has been 9 years and 10 seasons of Bake Off since the day I first stepped into that famous tent and it’s still hard to believe that much time, and that many bakers have passed through the tent, it still feels like yesterday when I heard those words ‘ready, set, bake’ for the first time. To celebrate 10 seasons I have paired up with Tate and Lyle sugars to create a recipe inspired by the season 10 finale. As one of the challenges was to make a chocolate cake I wanted to give you a recipe for an impressive chocolate cake that is achievable at home but still gives you the wow factor you’d expect from Bake Off. For that recipe I have turned to a simple one bowl chocolate cake and paired it with an orange and passion fruit buttercream which makes for a delicious flavour pairing. To make it extra special the cake uses a mainstay of the show, a mirror. glaze. Whilst mirror glazes are beautiful they’re often a cocoa powder gelatine mixture that to me isn’t the most flavourful so instead I am using a cheats glaze that is a simple ganache based glaze with some golden syrup to make the glaze nice and shiny.
Chocolate Cake
250g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
300g Tate & Lyle Light Soft Brown Cane Sugar
2 large eggs
100ml oil (you can use something neutral tasting or olive oil)
225g sour cream
225ml hot coffee
Passion Fruit Syrup
100ml passion fruit puree
75g Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar
Orange and Passion Fruit Buttercream
3 large egg whites
240g Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
360g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp passion fruit puree
Cheats Chocolate Mirror Glaze
130g dark chocolate, finely chopped
250ml double cream
2 tbsp Lyles Golden Syrup
Edible gold leaf, for decoration
To make the cake lightly grease 2x20cm round cake tins (do not use thin sandwich tins, they need to be at least 3 inch deep) and line the bases with parchment paper.
Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Tate & Lyle Light Soft Brown Cane Sugar brown sugar into a large bowl and use a whisk to combine so everything is evenly combined. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the remaining ingredients and whisk together until a smooth cake batter is formed. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cakes springs back to a light touch and are slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the syrup place the puree and Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
To make the buttercream place the egg whites, Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar
and orange zest in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar has dissolved (you can tell the mixture is ready when you rub a little between your fingers and you can no longer feel any grains of sugar). I use caster sugar for this but if you want a little more caramel flavour you can use Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Pure Cane Sugar. For this cake I wouldn’t use a brown sugar for the frosting as it will mask the fruity flavours we want to be the focus. Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric mixer to whisk on high speed until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to room temperature. With the mixer still running add the butter a piece at a time. When all the butter has been added and the mixture has formed a buttercream like texture add the orange juice and passion fruit puree, beating for a couple minutes until fully combined.
To assemble the cake use a serrated knife to slice each cake into two even layers. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake and brush with the passion fruit syrup. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of the cake and repeat with the remaining layers. Scrape the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and spread over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, making it as smooth as possible. Place the cake into the freezer whilst you make the glaze.
Place the chocolate into a jug and the remaining ingredients into a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and set aside for a couple minutes before stirring together to form a smooth chocolate glaze. Set aside until room temperature but still pourable. Remove the cake from the freezer and place onto a wire rack set on a baking tray. Pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it drip down the sides making sure the entire cake is covered. Allow the glaze to set for about 30 minutes before decorating with the gold leaf. Carefully transfer the cake back to the plate or stand.
Once assembled the cake will keep for about 3 days although the shine on the glaze will be strongest in the first day or so.
