Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes
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This recipe is from the 2010 St. Mary's cookbook Keeping the Feast. Copies are available for $15; email Sherrie Simmonds to arrange purchase and delivery.
Orange Chocolate Chunk Cakes
Dave Rein
approximately two hours combined prep, baking, and cooling/glazing time
Editor's note:
A grey summer sky calls for something sweet and citrusy to brighten up the day, and these orange-chocolate cakes are just the ticket!
for the cakes:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
1/8 cup grated orange zest (about two large oranges)
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (divided)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chunks
for the syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 freshly squeezed orange juice
for the ganache:
4 ounces good semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 6 individual serving baking molds, such as flexible, non-stick, 100% silicone molds or greased glass custard cups. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add orange zest. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Toss chocolate chunks with remaining 1 tablespoon flour and add to batter. Pour into pans, smoothing tops, and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. While cakes are baking, set up a cooling rack over some foil or a cookie sheet large enough to hold your cooling rack.
Syrup:
Mix orange juice with sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. When cakes are done, cool in the molds on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn cakes out onto the cooling rack. Spoon syrup over the cakes, slowly, so as much of the syrup as possible soaks into the cakes. Let cool completely.
Ganache:
Melt chocolate in heavy cream in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth and warm. Drizzle over the top of the cakes.