In junior high, our science teacher had a habit of bringing in cookies and cakes to…well, to bribe us with. Little Debbies (ooh) were popular, but we really knew something was up when the Big Guns came out: those foil-covered chocolate “oranges” that split into slices when you bang them down on the table. Those were far and away our favorites, and ever since then I’ve had a bit of a thing for the chocolate-and-orange combo.
The key to the pairing: keep the chocolate on the slightly more bitter side, so as not to overpower the citrus flavor with sweetness.
ORANGE-POPPYSEED LOAF CAKE with CHOCOLATE-CHIP GLAZE
Cake
What you need:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
6 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
2 tbsp poppyseeds
What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine first three ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between additions.
4. Gradually mix dry ingredients into butter/sugar mixture.
5. Add milk and orange zest; mix well.
6. Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pan and bake about 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before adding glaze.
Glaze
What you need:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp confectioners sugar
More chocolate chips for garnish
What you do:
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat cream until just bubbling.
2. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, butter, and confectioners sugar (use a heatproof bowl). Stir until blended; cover and put in refrigerator to thicken (about 20 minutes).
3. Pour glaze (you don’t need to use it all) over loaf cake. Let sit for a few minutes, then sprinkle over remaining chocolate chips (the goal is to have the glaze be sticky enough that the chips stay in place but don’t melt).
FYI, this makes a fantastic breakfast (speaking from very recent experience).
