Chocolate Orange Cake with Mirror Glaze

Recently tried this Chocolate Orange Cake, flavors came along so well and there’s this beautiful touch of Mirror Glaze with some Gold Dust.

Chocolate and Orange is indeed an amazingly delicious combination. Soft chocolate orange cake sponges are layered with chocolate orange ganache and finally covered in the mirror glaze. Prepared this cake in phases as in made the cake sponges & ganache a night before and refrigerated to get the perfect texture, please refer tips for the same.

Tips:

1. Prepare cake sponges and ganache a night before. Let them cool down completely then cover in a cling wrap and refrigerate overnight
2. In the morning frost the cakes with the ganache. Refer step 9 in the recipe
3. When 30 mins are left for the glaze to be ready, at this moment freeze the cake for the same amount of time. This will help the frosting to remain intact and won’t melt at all when pouring the glaze.

Also try: Blueberry Cake, Upside Down Pineapple Cake, Chocolate Cake, Berry Cake, Eggless Brownies or Blueberry Tartlets.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Global Cuisine

Time: Cake Preparation – 10 mins, Baking – 25 mins, Ganache – 4 hours 15 mins, Frosting – 10 mins, Glaze –  2 hours.

Servings: makes one 6 inch round cake

Ingredients:

For Cake

1. All-Purpose Flour – 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp 
2. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
3. Granulated Sugar – 3/4 cup
4. Oil – 1/4 cup (canola, vegetable or olive)
5. Thick Buttermilk – 1/2 cup
6. Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice – 1/4 cup
7. Baking Soda – 1 tsp 
8. Baking Powder – 1/2 tsp
9. Large Egg – 1
10. Orange Zest – 1 tsp
11. Orange Extract – 1.5 tsp
12. Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
13. Water – 1/4 cup
14. Salt – 1/2 tsp.

For Ganache

1. Chocolate Chip – 250 grams (dark or semi-sweet)
2. Heavy Cream – 1 cup
3. Orange Zest – 1 tsp
4. Orange Extract – 1 tsp
5. Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp.

For Mirror Glaze

1. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – 1 cup
2. Sugar – 1 cup
3. Heavy Cream – 2/3 cup
4. Water – 2/3 cup + 2.5 tbsp
5. Agar Agar or Gelatine Powder – 4 tsp.

PS: 1 Cup = 250 ML.

How to make Chocolate Orange Cake with Mirror Glaze:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F or 180 C. Grease two 6 inch round pans with oil then line with parchment paper and grease again, keep aside
2. In a mixing bowl. Add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well and keep aside
3. In another mixing bowl. Add eggs, orange extract, vanilla extract, buttermilk, oil, orange juice and water. Whisk to combine
4. Add orange zest and mix
5. Now add dry ingredients in portions to wet ingredients and mix until combined well, no flour should be visible
6. Divide the batter and pour each half into the cake pans. Bake for around 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
7. Place cake pans on a cooling rack and let them fully cool down before removing cake sponges from the pan. Once fully cooled remove from pan and cling wrap them, then refrigerate for upto 4 hours or overnight
8. While cake sponges are cooling, make the ganache. Heat 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan, until hot and ensure is doesn’t boil. Add chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it, it should be covered evenly in the cream. Let it rest for about 10 mins, then stir with a spatula until silky smooth. Add 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp orange extract and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix and let it cool down completely then cover it with a cling wrap and refrigerate for upto 4 hours or overnight
9. Now frost the cake with the ganache. First level the cake sponges, if not perfectly flat, by cutting them on the top. Place one cake sponge on a flat surface, spread ganache evenly on the top, now top it with the other cake sponge and spread the ganache evenly on the top and all around. Refrigerate again until the mirror glaze is prepared
10. To make the glaze first add 2.5 tbsp water in a small bowl. Add agar agar or gelatine powder and mix until it’s wet. Let it rest for about 5 mins, it’ll be like a rubber
11. While it’s resting, add 2/3 cup water and 1 cup cocoa powder in a saucepan. Mix until it looks like a paste. Add 1 cup sugar and 2/3 heavy cream, gently stir to combine. Now heat it over a medium flame and bring it to a boil while stirring often, remove from heat and add the agar agar or gelatine lump. Gently mix until it melts completely, it’ll be glossy
12. In a shallow bowl using a small fine strainer, strain the glaze into the bowl. Pour so that the glaze falls at a smallest distance possible, it’s important else there’ll be bubbles
13. Now cover it with cling wrap, pressing the cling wrap onto the surface of the glaze to prevent a skin from forming on it. Cool it over the counter for 2 hours
14. After 2 hours strain it again in the similar way in a jug or a pouring vessel
15. While glaze is cooling you can freeze your cake for about 30 mins, it’ll helps ganache to not melt while pouring the glaze. Transfer the cake to a rack, then place the rack on a tray to catch excess glaze
16. Pour the glaze by starting at the centre of the cake and moving in an expanding spiral motion gradually towards the outer edge of the cake, ensure the cake is fully coated 
17. Now transfer the cake to a cake platter or a serving plate, the glaze will set in about 10 mins
18. Decorate the cake with gold dust by blowing it over the cake, it’s totally optional. Your Chocolate Orange Cake with Mirror Glaze is ready. Refrigerate it before serving and enjoy!!!