Rich Chocolate Cake and Orange and Radish Salad-From Health to Decadence

Yes I made the Super Tuna Pasta for Lunch previous post today also for the vegetarians I made a Butternut Lasagne click here which was just creamy and beautiful.

But we had to have something really healthy then something really decadent

Health First

Moroccan Styled Salad.

So pretty and crisp and crunchy…a delicious perfect accompaniment for a baked pasta dish when you want a real fresh taste.
Since I took this shot a few months ago...I have made some adjustments and added the celery, cucumber and spring onions.

For 4 people
3 carrots peeled sliced very thinly
8 radishes sliced very thinly
1 orange peeled and chopped
Big bunch of coriander coarsely chopped
8-10 mint leaves sliced
2-3 spring onions finely chopped
1 med size chili deseeded and finely sliced
1 stalk celery finely sliced
5 cm piece of cucumber halved deseeded and sliced

Dressing
1 clove garlic crushed with sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs Olive oil
Juice of lemon

Blend all these ingredients together and let sit for about 30 mins to let the flavour mingle.

Then naughty...
Ina Garten yet again has come up tops with this rich rich rich cake
I used Lindts Intense Orange chocolate. I love it.
Of course it means you can’t get a smooth Ganache as it has little chips of an intense orange sort of nougat…I think it is.
Wow

She made this in individual molds. I used a 23 cm cake tin. It was just fine

115 gms unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/8 cup grated orange zest (2 large oranges)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
85 gms buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup good semisweet chocolate chunks


For the syrup:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice


For the Ganache:
115 gms good semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon instant coffee granules

Preheat the oven to 170C.
Grease and flour 23cm cake tin

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the orange zest.
Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Toss the chocolate chunks with 1 tablespoon flour and add to the batter.

Pour into the tin, smooth the top, and
bake for 40-50 minutes,(depending on your oven) until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the molds on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the syrup.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat,
Cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the cake from the pans, put them on a rack over a tray,
and spoon the orange syrup over the cakes.
Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the ganache,

Melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee
in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm,
stirring occasionally.

Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Just a little orange zest garnish for a little panache.