Chocolate-orange cake is worth the undertaking
Hummingbird High’s recipe calls for salted cream cheese, but takes quite a bit of time
After a summer of eating bland muffins made from back-of-freezer bananas, I wanted to try my hand at something indulgent.
Initially, my idea was to create a truly ambitious creation: a 14-layer cake.
But my colleagues quickly persuaded me this would be an insane undertaking.
After much Googling, I settled on the chocolate orange cake with salted cream cheese frosting from a blog called Hummingbird High.
The site sucked me in with its beautifully styled photos and rich-looking desserts made by Michelle Lopez, a New Yorker who started baking during college to relieve stress.
Two things about this cake: it’s delicious. And it took me five hours to make.
My advice to those tackling it is to make sure you have two pans (I didn’t) to cook both layers at once, and to bake it a day in advance so you don’t have to wait for it to cool before icing.
This cake is a time commitment, but I promise you, it’s worth it. The blog: Hummingbird High, a desserts and baking blog. The quote:“Chocolate and orange is one of my favourite combinations, and when topped with this salted orange zest cream cheese frosting? It’s a recipe that deserves to be blogged about as it is its own star.” The tester: My approach to baking cakes is go big or go home. I once spent three hours making a carrot cake. It was mind-blowingly good. Recipes I’m dying to make: Triple chocolate double graham s’mores cupcakes, homemade funfetti cake with the chocolate frosting, brioche doughnuts with honey glaze, white chocolate bread pudding with blackberry orange compote.
Chocolate Orange Cake with Salted Cream Cheese Frosting
This cake is decadent and smooth, chocolatey and tangy, alcoholic and caffeinated.
In the words of my taste-tester colleague, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had! Don’t tell my mom.”
It just works. For the chocolate orange cake (makes two 8-inch layers) 2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar Zest from 1 large orange 1 3/4 cup (435 mL) all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (185 mL) natural cocoa powder 2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk 1/2 cup (125 mL) vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tsp (5 mL) Grand Marnier 1 cup (250 mL) freshly brewed hot coffee
For the salted cream cheese frosting (makes around 3 cups)
1/2 cup (125 mL) plus 3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup (250 mL) confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2 cups (approximately two sticks) cream cheese, at room temperature Zest from 1 large orange 1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
For the chocolate orange cake: In medium glass bowl, combine 2 cups granulated sugar and zest from 1 large orange by using your hands to rub the zest and sugar together. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by spraying generously with cooking spray and lining bottom of each pan with parchment paper circles. Spray the top of each parchment circle and set aside.
In bowl with a free-standing elec- tric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all-purpose flour, orange-infused granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
In separate medium bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs and Grand Marnier orange liqueur. Whisk together gently until just combined.
With the mixer on lowest speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add hot coffee. Con- tinue stirring on low speed until just combined. Use rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of bowl and mix into batter.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out with a few crumbs and the tops of each cake bounce with a spongelike texture when poked gently. When cakes are ready, remove from oven and let them cool in the pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes, before turning out of the pans to cool. Remove parchment paper and allow cakes to cool completely for one to two hours (or place in freezer for faster results) before frosting.
For salted cream cheese frosting: In bowl with a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and sift in the confectioners’ sugar. Beat on mediumhigh speed until completely smooth and glossy.
Add cream cheese and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add orange zest and kosher salt and continue beating until just incorporated. Use immediately.
Add generous amount of frosting to bottom cake layer, then place second layer on top and cover entire cake in frosting.