Sam Stern's Chilli-Chocolate Orange Cake

Feb 10, 2014

We love interesting food combinations, so this Valentine’s Day we thought finding a recipe with an unexpected ingredient that just may raise your sweetie’s eyebrows might be fun. It didn’t take us long to settle on Sam Stern’s recipe – we love the concept of heat meets sweet, especially for a Valentine’s Day dessert.

Divine Chocolate asked top chefs to create chocolate cakes as part the UK’s Chocolate Week 2013 (October 13-19) celebrations. Chef Sam Stern created his Chilli-Chocolate Orange Cake – a decadent cake that we think is perfect for wooing your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. And, if you love chocolate you owe it to yourself to spend some time browsing recipes on Divine Chocolate’s website. Oh, YUM!

Putting this cake together has been a labour of love. It’s been through a load of variations and I think this one is pretty much perfect. Customise the cake to suit you – add more chilli if you like more heat. Go for the fudge icing for a sweeter tooth or the bitter chocolate for a sophisticated taste and finish. — Sam Stern

Ingredients
150g (6 ounces) plain chocolate
½ tsp coffee granules
1 tsp chilli flakes (or more if you like), crushed
125g (9 tbsp) butter
125g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
75g (2/3 cup) self raising flour
1 pinch baking soda
1½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp rum or orange juice or water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs water
Peel of half a medium orange, finely grated

Glaze:
2 tablespoons of good orange marmalade

Fudge icing:
300g (3 cups) icing sugar
25g (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) cocoa powder
125g (9 tbsp) butter
4 tbsp of water

Bitter chocolate icing:
180g (6.5 ounces) dark chocolate
125g (9 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 tbsp golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 320°F.

Line and grease a 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Melt the chocolate by placing the pieces in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, not allowing the bowl to touch the water. Add the coffee granules and chilli. Let the mix melt then stir with a wooden spoon. Remove bowl and leave to cool.

Cream the softened butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy. Gently stir in the cooled chocolate and four egg yolks. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and then add the grated orange rind. Fold the mix gently together with a large spatula. Add the rum, vanilla and water.

Whisk 5 egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Add to the mixture by beating in the first tablespoon to loosen the consistency. Then fold the rest in very gently using a spatula. Do not over mix you want the mixture to maintain some airiness.

Pour the mix into the pan and put it in the oven for 45-50 minutes (if your oven is hot – check after 35 minutes). To test it, prick with a toothpick. It should come out clean. Remove and place on a cooling rack. Remove cake from pan after five minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack. Brush the glaze on while the cake is still slightly warm.

To make the glaze, put the marmalade into a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it’s runny. Brush this onto the cooling cake base with a pastry brush.

To make the fudge icing: combine the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Melt the butter and water and pour into the icing sugar mix. Beat until combined. It should be easily spreadable but not runny, so you might not need all the liquid. Cover the top of the cake and sides generously with the icing. Go for a smooth or a rough finish. You can decorate with cherries, grated chocolate, or chocolate curls (peel from a bar of chocolate with a potato peeler).

For the bitter chocolate icing: melt chocolate pieces over a water bath with butter and golden syrup. Pour it over the cake for a smooth finish. Let it set. Pipe sweet Valentine messages on top or decorate with cherries, or a chili pepper. Eat and enjoy!