If orange and chocolate are the most compatible match in the world of fruit & chocolate, then consider this cake the fun married couple that’s always in sync. I have made this 4+ times, and each time, the result has been great. Of course, depending on the quality of chocolate used, the result can be a “high great” or a “medium great,” but great all the same.

The first time I made this I used a bar of Lindt dark chocolate and it was divine. The second time around, I used a block of generic dark baking chocolate, and the result was a little lesser than the first attempt, but still very good. All subsequent times, I have been sure to use Lindt or Callebaut dark chocolate because it just makes it so much richer.

The recipe calls for orange marmalade, but I like drizzling a little freshly squeezed orange over the cake once it’s done- it adds gloss and stickiness to the cake; and while a sticky cake may not be for everyone, I enjoy it because it makes me feel like a kid again, cleaning out jars of fruit preserves with my fingers. (Wait. I still do that.)

The cake is quite dense, as you can see, with a moist and sticky crumb. It can be a little too intense for some; so some vanilla ice cream to cut through the richness of the cake is a good idea.

NIGELLA LAWSON’S STORE-CUPBOARD CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CAKE (From How To Be A Domestic Goddess.)

INGREDIENTS

• 125 g butter
• 100 g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces (I used Lindt)
• 300 g marmalade
• 150 g castor sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 150 flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3-4 tablespoons (preferably freshly squeezed) orange juice
• A little orange zest for decoration

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180 C
• Sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
• Place the butter in a largish heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over low heat. When it has melted completely, add the chocolate pieces, give them a stir and allow them to sit for a minute. Pull off the heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate melts and the chocolate-butter mixture is completely smooth and without lumps.
• Next, add the marmalade, sugar and beaten eggs, and stir till everything is combined well.
• Beat in the flour little by little until everything is incorporated and there are no streaks of flour in the batter.
• Pour into a greased 9-inch baking tin and bake at 180 C for 50 minutes to an hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Once the cake is done, allow it to cool for a few minutes, then poke some holes over the top with a skewer.
• Pour the orange juice over the cake and allow it to seep into the still-warm cake.
• Grate some orange zest over the top if you’d like to.