Orange cake with white chocolate ganache

This cake is an absolute delight. It had the great honour of being first cake I served and ate of 2014 (got stuck into it straight after a glass of bubbly to toast the new year!) and it definitely was deserving of this. My mum got me the Mary Berry Baking Bible for Christmas, and so far I have not been disappointed with anything. It feels like stealing your grandmothers’ best recipes.

Back to this cake: it’s so simple to make, it’s light and zesty, and the ganache just gives it a richness which is not overpowering due to the citrus flavour of the cake.

In short: you need this in your life (and mouth).

Cake adapted from a Mary Berry recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients for the cake

• 175g softened butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 175g plain flour
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• Grated rind and juice of a large orange

Ingredients for ganache

• 150g double cream
• 150g white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

Oven at 180 degrees

Grease a cake tin and line with greaseproof paper

Beat together the butter and sugar.

Measure out the flour and baking powder and mix roughly.

Add in an egg at a time, along with a tbsp of flour to prevent curdling. 

Once all the eggs are beaten in, fold in the rest of the flour mixture and finally add in the orange zest and juice. Mix well.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes.

Once cooked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out to a cooling rack to complete cooling.

Slightly sunken in the middle after an ill-advised skewer test too early.

While you’re waiting for this, start on the ganache. Heat the cream until warmed but not boiling. 

Add in the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes, allowing it to melt slightly. 

It's stupidly decadent, but why not start the year as you mean to go on?

Stir until all the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth consistency. 

Place in the fridge, taking out every 15 minutes or so to stir. I poured mine over when it was slightly too soft to spread and hold its shape, but you can always leave it to harden more so that it can be spread on and shaped.

ONLY put on the ganache when the cake has completely cooled. Just.. trust me.

Refrigerated for a few minutes to let harden enough to eat. Impatient, me?

Serve to grateful loved ones.