When I think back to my childhood Christmases I remember the knitted stocking that would hang empty on the end of my bed on Christmas Eve and come morning would be filled with satsumas, gold chocolate coins, little trinkets and, if there was space, a Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

The days of stockings on the end of the bed are long since gone but there’s still something undeniably festive about the marriage of chocolate and orange – especially if it’s encased in crumb!  If you’ve a fondness for a Terry’s at this time of year you will love this cake.

It’s my festive spin on a Swedish cake called Kladdkaka – I hope you like it!

As usual, the oven goes on first.  Preheat to 220°C / 440°F / Gas Mark 7 and lightly grease a loose-bottomed cake round cake tin with some butter.

Next pop 200g dark chocolate and 200g unsalted butter into a bowl and microwave in 20-30 second bursts until the two combine to form a smooth chocolatey soup.  Set to the side and allow to cool slightly.

While that’s cooling whisk up 4 large eggs and 200g caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Add 1tsp vanilla extract, the zest of 1 orange (saving a little aside to decorate at the end) and 2tbsp of the orange’s juice.  Whisk again.

Stir the chocolate soup into the mixture.

Next add your sifted dry ingredients – 1tsp baking powder and 250g plain flour.  Fold it into the mix with a metal spoon and while you want to make sure it’s combined don’t overdo it as you’ll knock the air out of your cake and it’ll come out of the oven looking like a frisbee.

Once combined pour the mixture into your tin and pop onto the middle shelf of your oven for 12-13mins before removing it.  I know, this doesn’t seem like long enough to properly cook it through but just trust me!  If the top of the cake looks so jiggly it might cave in put it back in the oven for no more than a minute.  When you take it out, pop it onto a wire rack to cool (leave in the tin) and place a dinner plate on top.  This will bounce some heat back into the cake.

Once your cake has cooled take it out of the tin, dust with cocoa powder and the remaining orange zest et voila.  You’re ready to serve it up!

This cake is designed to ooze (hence why you don’t want to overcook it or it will be too dry.) All that’s left to do is to put the kettle on, call your pals and stick your favourite festive film on the TV before tucking in to the flavours of Christmas morning.

Until next time,

L X

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my blogmas giveaway, running until midnight on 14th December.  Good luck!