Chocolate ganache – Feasting Is Fun

Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake

Since Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, here is an easy to make and decorate treat for Dad. Lemon and chocolate intertwined within every part of this stunning Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake. While I am using lemon in this cake, other flavours such as orange, coffee or perhaps a liqueur could also be considered.

You can make this cake for Father’s Day, or as a special celebration cake. Since the blend of chocolate and lemon throughout every part of this cake is a taste sensation. And if you have never tried the two together then you need to trust me and make this cake.

FF Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake — **Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake** whoever receives this will be thrilled.

While orange and chocolate is a more common flavour pairing, I was inspired to make this cake when I discovered that Elizabeth Shaw Chocolates made Chocolate a Lemon Flutes. And having used the Amaretto flutes for my Chocolate Amaretto Cake I knew how stunning and yet simple they were to use.

So if you want to make this cake for your Dad this coming Sunday, or a special birthday cake I am right here to show you how to make this stunning Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake.

Homemade Gifts That Are Baked With Love

Nothing is quite as special as something that you have made yourself for someone. Putting the time, energy and love into baking a cake, for me truly shows someone that I love them. Especially if it is centered around their favourite flavours.

Elizabeth Shaw sell a range of flavoured flutes and you can easily tweak this recipe to fit the flavour of your choice. And adding the flutes around the edge, with the extra touch of a beautiful ribbon transforms a nice cake to a wow cake.

Recipe: Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake serves 10-12

Cake:

300g/11oz Unsalted Butter – plus a little extra for greasing the cake tin

300g/11oz Caster Sugar

6 Large Free Range Eggs

300g/11oz Self Raising Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

50g/2oz Cocoa Powder

2tbsp Milk

2 Whole Lemons – scrubbed under hot water if waxed

Frosting:

250g/5oz Dark Chocolate Minimum 70% Cocoa Solids

200g/7oz Unsalted Butter

100g/4oz Sifted Icing Sugar

Optional – 1tsp Lemon Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

Decorations:

4 Boxes Lemon Flutes – from Elizabeth Shaw Chocolates

Pearls, dragee balls, or sprinkles of your choice

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, gas mark 3, 350F.

Making The Marble Cake Batter

First of all, grease and line with baking parchment an 8″ or 18cm cake tin – that is also fairly deep – at least 4″/10cm. Ensure that the baking parchment is at least 2″/5cm higher than the sides of the cake. This will ensure a nice even rise and moist cake.
In a large bowl add the softened, room temperature butter and caster sugar.
Whisk/beat until pale and creamy.
Sift the flour into a medium sized bowl – you will need the bowl later.
Add 1/3 of the flour and 2 eggs to the butter mixture, mix slowly until just incorporated.
Repeat the last step.
Add the last 2 eggs, remaining flour and the zest of 2 lemons.
Use a large spoon or spatula to fold in all of the ingredients until combined – be careful not to overmix.
In the spare bowl (which had the flour in it) place half of the lemon flavoured cake mixture – I do this by eye but, use scales if you want to be exact.
Sift the cocoa into the mixture in the spare bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of milk. Fold in the cocoa powder until the mixture is combined. It will be a gorgeous chocolate colour.
In the othe bowl squeeze in the juice from half of a lemon. Stir until fully combined.

Begin by alternating the cake mixes.

Spoon dollops of the chocolate cake mixture around the base of the tin, leaving a gap in between.
In the gaps spoon dollops (~~sorry~~ but I love that word 😉) of the lemon cake mix.
Continue by layering spoonfuls of the chocolate cake mixture on top of the lemon and vice versa.

Creating The Classic Chocolate Marble Swirl With The Cake Batter

Now to get swirling! I always use the handle of a wooden spoon, as it won’t rip through the baking parchment.
With the upturned spoon in hand swirl through the cake mixture. I like making figures of eight!
You need the whole cake mix to be marbled NOT mixed.

FF Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake — One beautifully swirled marble cake and I stuck the overlapping parchment together with cake batter!

Please don’t worry if you think you’ve over or under swirled your cake. This is a gift for someone. They will love that you’ve taken the time to bake them a cake.

Baking The Marble Cake

Place the cake in the middle part of the oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes – 1 hour 45 minutes.
This is a long slow bake that ensures a moist, evenly coloured cake. Please trust me. If you cook at a higher temperature the outside will be baked before the middle and you are likely to end up with a dry cake.
The cake is baked when an inserted skewer comes out clean.
As soon as the cake is baked remove from the oven and place the tin on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool in the tin. I made this cake the day before I decorated it, however, as long as it is cold it can be decorated on the same day.

If leaving overnight before decorating, remove the cooled cake from its tin and wrap in cling film.

Preparing the Chocolate Ganache Icing:

Break up the 250g of dark chocolate and add to a heatproof bowl that fits on top of a small saucepan. Add the butter to the chocolate.
Place 1-2 inches of water in the base of the saucepan and heat until just bubbling.
Place the bowl containing the chocolate/butter on top of the saucepan, ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water – this is called a double boiler.
Stir continuously until both the butter and chocolate have melted.

Next add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract (if using) and the sifted icing sugar.

When the icing sugar is no longer visible remove the bowl from the heat and very gently, as this mixture will be hot, switch to a balloon whisk and stir, then whisk as the mixture cools, until all icing sugar has dissolved.
The best way to tell if the mixture is smooth is to rub a little between your finger and thumb, if it still feels gritty keep whisking – it took 5 minutes of gentle whisking until my ganache was smooth again.

Next switch to an electric mix and whisk gently, increasing in speed as the ganache starts to thicken.
Keep whisking until the mixture is still soft but will hold a figure of eight.

Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake — Thickened ganache that can hold its shape – but not stiff.

Covering The Marble Cake With Chocolate Ganache And Piping The Swirl Decorations

Place half of the ganache into a piping bag fitted with a large star. If it is a hot day cover the nozzle with cling film and place in the fridge.
Place your cake on a board or cake stand. I suggest placing the board on a cake stand as it makes the cake easier to decorate.
Spoon 3/4 of the remaining ganache on to the top of the cake.
Using an off set palette knife spread the mixture so that it covers the top of the cake.

Spoon the rest of the ganache around the outside edge of the top of the cake.
Gently, with your palette knife encourage the icing to cover the side of the cake. Turning the cake stand as you go, working round until the sides are covered.
Hold your palette knife flat against the side of the cake and rotate the stand. This will give your sides a nice even edge.
Run your palette knife flat across the surface of the cake to achieve the same effect. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly flat, as long as the icing is even it will look great.
Next pipe swirls around the edge of the cake and finish with one in the centre.

Adding The Chocolate Flutes And Final Decoration

Have the flutes opened and ready. You will see that one side of the flute is flat.
Press the flat side of the flute against the base of the cake, the ganache will hold it in place.
Continue, placing one flute next to another, taking care to ensure they are straight, until the whole cake is surrounded.
Take your ribbon, place it halfway up the flutes – it is helpful if you have a spare pair of hands to hold it in place, if not use a pin to secure it at the back of the cake – wrap it around the cake and tie a bow at the front.
Place a silver dragee ball on the top of each swirl and add extra small, edible pearls to the swirls.

Serve your stunning Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake sliced with a cup of tea or coffee and a big smile.

This beautiful Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake, made with love and shared with your Dad, or friends and family for a special celebration is sure to wow and impress them with the delicious flavour combination!

If you have enjoyed the recipe for this Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake here are some others you may enjoy:

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR LINK

Raspberry Vanilla Naked Celebration Cake

Vanilla buttercream covered sponge decorated with deep pink, fresh roses. — Raspberry Vanilla Naked Celebration Cake

Chocolate Amaretto Cake

Raspberry Lemon Celebration Layer Cake

This Fluted Chocolate Lemon Marble Cake is beautifully rich, decadent, full of flavour and so easy to make. So I hope that you enjoy the calming practise of baking and then decorating a cake. While I was not having the best of days yesterday yet, sitting decorating this cake, I became totally immersed in what I was doing. As a result, I felt a lot better and had accomplished something that I hadn’t done before. So I thoroughly recommend baking and cake decorating as a very therapeutic, calming practise. And even if you don’t feel any better at the end, your time will have been well spent.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

Although Elizabeth Shaw Chocolates gifted me the flutes to decorate this cake. I did not receive any payment for writing this post. So, all content, recipes, photographs and opinions are my own. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. What about when a delicious new orange cake mix from Wright’s Baking arrives? You make a Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt!

The lovely people at Wright’s sent me an orange cake mix completely out of the blue! I knew their toffee cake mix had been a big hit with my Toffee Banoffee Waffles and didn’t hesitate coming up with ideas of which cake to make.

There was only one, rather large problem – I am allergic to oranges!!!

Our son, on the other hand, absolutely loves them, as does my hubby. So I set my mind on making an orange bundt cake, baked in the beautiful citrus Bundt tin that I used for my Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake. I had been wanting to bake an orange cake in the tin and this seemed to be perfect timing.

On this occasion I wanted to drape the orange cake in a chocolate orange ganache. Chocolate and orange are an awesome and classic flavour combination. Just because I cannot eat it (see Migraines) shouldn’t mean others must miss out.

As regular readers will be aware, the majority of my recipes are made from scratch. However, I do believe there is a place for good quality, packet mixes in our kitchens. Where would my Ciabatta Base Pizza be without a ciabatta bread mix?

Just before Easter, after I had baked two batches of differently flavoured hot cross buns and a batch cookies, I realised that we were nearly out of bread. I simply didn’t have any energy left to weigh out even the simplest of ingredients. It was utter relief to add water to the bread maker, tip in a packet of Wright’s mixed grain bread mix and press start!

Having a cake mix to hand, especially when baked in a beautiful Bundt tin, means that you are only a quick whisk away from having a cake baking in the oven. Perfect for when guests drop by unexpectedly or someone has a birthday that you’ve almost missed. There are a million reasons why it’s ok to have a cake mix in the cupboard and one of them is so you can make this Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt cake!

Recipe: Makes one Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt cake serves 10

Cake release spray – or butter for preparing the Bundt/loaf tin

1 Packet of Wright’s Orange Cake Mix + water as per packet instructions

4tbsp Vegetable Oil

100g – 1 Maya Gold chocolate orange bar by Green & Black’s

100g Milk Chocolate

200mls Double Cream

Optional – orange jellies and edible glitter to decorate.

Method: You will need the Citrus Bundt Tin by Nordicware to make this cake – alternatively a loaf tin would give a pleasing shape.

Preheat the oven to 165C/150C fan, gas Mark 2.
Make the orange cake batter according to the packet instructions.
Spray the Citrus Bundt tin with cake release spray – if using a loaf tin, grease and line the base with baking parchment.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin.
Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.
The cake is cooked when it is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Once cooked remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the Bundt tin for 10 minutes – allow to cool completely if using a loaf tin.
Turn out the Bundt cake onto a cooling rack.

Allow the cake to cool completely before covering with the chocolate orange ganache.

To make the ganache:

Break up the chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl.
Pour the cream over the chocolate.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water – this is called a double boiler see Chocolate Sparkle Cake for step by step photos.
Stir the chocolate and cream constantly until the chocolate has melted. You should have a nice smooth ganache. If you wanted to make this cake for adults, the addition of one tablespoon of Grand Marnier, stirred through the ganache, would give it a delicious, boozy edge 😉.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Place the cooling rack across the baking tray, ensuring the cake is cold.
Spoon the warm chocolate orange ganach over the top of the cake.

Continue spooning the ganache over the cake, encouraging it to drape over the sides.
Once the cake is completely covered, allow the ganache to finish dripping for a further 5 minutes.
Transfer the cake to a serving plate.
Add the orange jellies and edible glitter, if using.

Now take a photo of your wonderful creation!! Ooh and give yourself a pat on the back for baking and decorating such a beautiful, delicious cake.

Allow the cake to set for approximately 30 minutes. During warmer weather it would be advisable to put it into the fridge.

Once set, slice the cake and serve with a nice cup of tea of coffee. Or maybe a liquer coffee if you added a little tipple to the ganache!!

This Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt is a top class cake. As you can see from the photo, pieces of dried fruit are distributed evenly throughout the cake, which has a moist, tender crumb.

There is no shame in using a cake mix, as long as it is a good quality one – which this Wright’s Orange Cake Mix most certainly is.

Do you use cake mixes, or are they banished from your kitchen?

Has my post made you reconsider using a cake mix?

I am not being paid to ask these questions, I am genuinely interested in what you think and also just a touch nosey 😉.

As for me, am I suddenly going to only use cake mixes? The answer to that is no? Like everything in life, it is about balance. I make most our bread from scratch, yet I have a loaf of white sliced ‘plastic’ bread downstairs as I’ve been unwell for a couple of days. There is most definitely a place in my kitchen for mixes, for all manner of different reasons.

The act of baking or cooking something, for me is calming and therapeutic. For someone else, the mere thought of making a Victoria Sponge Cake may stress them out to the point of not starting. So I say, in that instance, as I said for my Chocolate Amaretto Cake use a good quality cake mix. Better to try with some hope of success, than abstain for fear of failure.

If you have enjoyed the Bundt experience of making this Chocolate Orange Citrus Bundt, here are some recipes you may want to take a peek at:

Heart Engagement Bundt Cake

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Flower Vanilla Bundt Cake

I am available on Twitter most days and am more than happy to help guide you through your bakes. Whilst not professionally trained I have been baking for forty years and belong to a wider baking community of like minded bakers. Together we can usually solve a problem, avert potential disasters and generally encourage you no matter what level of cook/baker you are at.

Personally I also thoroughly enjoy seeing your kitchen creations, whether it be a meal, cake, loaf of bread or anything else. Please post a photo on Twitter/Instagram and tag me in? I’ll be sure to give you a shout out or retweet!

Sammie xx

@sammiefeasting Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest

Wright’s Baking supplied the orange cake mix for this recipe. All opinions, views, content and photographs are my own. I was not paid to write this post. Please see my Disclosure Policy .

Chocolate Sparkle Cake

Ooh hello my lovelies, have I got a treat for you today? Yes of course I have and a dazzling one at that. Welcome to my Chocolate Sparkle Cake!

A sparkling star covered celebration bake perfect for bonfire night, New Year’s Eve and Halloween. — Chocolate Sparkle Cake

It’s ok you can read through once you’ve looked at all the photo’s – I would!!!

So, this cake was inspired by Bonfire Night ( November 5th if you’re not from the UK). Our children were being taken to an amazing fireworks party by my wonderful sister and brother-in-law, along with their cousins.

While they were out I wanted to make a cake, that on their return would make them say “Wow” and remind them of the fun they’d had.

It has to be chocolate:

So being our children meant this had to be a Chocolate Cake. I wanted a deep, chocolatey, moist cake, smothered in thick, glossy, chocolate ganache and then topped with as many sprinkles I could get my hands on.

Thus the Chocolate Sparkle Cake idea was formed in my head.

A slice of dreamy Chocolate Sparkle Cake.

And, knowing that I didn’t want a layer cake, it was important to ensure the cake itself was as moist as possible. Since adding cocoa to any batter has a drying effect, so to counter that I added sour cream.

I’d seen Ina Garten add it to many of her bakes and figured it was worth a try. Yep I was winging it yet again!

Oh my. I soo made the right decision. Because you cannot taste the sour cream in the baked cake, however, the baked cake has such a moist, tender crumb. This is one ingredient I will be experimenting with more, that’s for sure.

A chocolate cake decorated to look like a galaxy of stars. — Chocolate Sparkle Cake

What really sends this cake over the top flavour-wise is the addition of liqueur to the chocolate ganache. I happened to have an unopened bottle of Chocolate Bailey’s Luxe. So I added some. Mmm another brilliant decision, I was truly on a roll!

I only used a small amount and it is totally fine to leave it out altogether. Our youngest is 13 years old so I was happy for him to have a very small, diluted amount.

I would say that this cake is both decadant and rich. All three of our children and all the adults loved it. I’m not sure if it’s richness would be enjoyed by younger children, even with the absence of liqueur?

Recipe : Makes 1 x 10″ Chocolate Sparkle Cake

For the cake:

275g/10oz Unsalted Butter at room temp.

150g/5oz Soft Light Brown Sugar

150g/5oz Caster Sugar

5 Large Eggs – I always use free range

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

225g/8oz Plain White Flour

100g/4oz Cocoa Powder

2.5tsp Baking Powder

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

200ml/7fl oz Full Fat Sour Cream

Alternatively – Wright’s Baking Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix would also work really well for this cake if you haven’t the time or energy to bake from scratch. Follow the packet instructions for baking and then decorate as given below.

For the topping:

100g/4oz Dark Chocolate minimum 70% Cocoa

200g/7oz Milk Chocolate minimum 35% Cocoa

300ml/ 1/2 pint Double Cream

Optional – 2Tbsp Bailey’s Chocolate or Bailey’s liqueur

Assorted sprinkles, stars and ebible glitter dust

Method : Preheat the oven 170C/150C fan, gas mark 3, 325F

Making the Cake:

First of all, butter the base and sides of a 10″ Springform cake tin. Line the base of the tin with baking parchment paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together. These are your dry ingredients.

Crack all the eggs into a jug, add the vanilla extract and lightly beat with a fork to break up.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add one third of your dry ingredients and mix slowly, as they start to incorporate add half of your eggs. Continue mixing until all the ingredients are almost incorporated.

Repeat this step again.

Add the last of the dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Be careful not to overmix, as the cake will be heavy.

Fold in the sour cream to the chocolate cake batter.

Delicious, moist, chocolate cake batter.

Fill the cake tin with batter and smooth the top.

Place the cake tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 50 minutes.

The cake is baked when an inserted skewer comes out clean. If after 50 minutes the cake is still not fully baked, place back in the oven and re-check at 5 minute intervals.

As soon as the cake is baked remove the oven.

Don't worry about the small crack it will reduce and we are turning the cake over to frost!! — Don’t worry about the small crack it will reduce and we are turning the cake over to frost!!

Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.

To remove, release the springform lever, remove the outer ring of the tin.

Place a cooling rack on top of the cake and invert.

The cake is now bottom side up on the cooling rack. Remove the tin base and gently peel off the baking parchment paper.

Place to one side and allow the cake to cool completely.

Making the topping:

Break or chop the chocolate into small chunks. Place in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler), ensuring the base of the bowl does not touch the water.

Add the cream. And stir. The more you stir the glossier the ganache will be.

Keep stirring the chocolate/cream until the chocolate has completely melted.

Remove from the double boiler, add the liqueur and stir well. Set aside to cool and thicken.

The ganache is ready to use when it is thickened but still pourable (but not runny).

Chocolate Sparkle Cake - have your frosting and decorations ready and to hand before you start icing the cake. www.feastingisfun.com — **Chocolate Sparkle Cake** – have your frosting and decorations ready and to hand before you start icing the cake. www.feastingisfun.com

Once completely cool place the cake on a stand or board.

Chocolate Sparkle Cake pour the thickened ganache onto the top of the cake. www.feastingisfun.com — **Chocolate Sparkle Cake** pour the thickened ganache onto the top of the cake. www.feastingisfun.com

Chocolate Sparkle Cake gently smooth the ganache over the entire top of the cake and push over the sides so it drapes over the edge of the cake. www.feastingisfun.com — **Chocolate Sparkle Cake** gently smooth the ganache over the entire top of the cake and push over the sides so it drapes over the edge of the cake. www.feastingisfun.com

I tapped the cake stand a couple of times against the table, to release any air bubbles trapped in the ganache. As a result, the swirled effect at the bottom of the cake was a result of my tapping!

Decorating the Cake:

Chocolate Sparkle Cake now get sprinkling! I started with white chocolate stars and the smaller edible gold stars. www.feastingisfun.com — **Chocolate Sparkle Cake** now get sprinkling! I started with white chocolate stars and the smaller edible gold stars.

Get creative, use whatever decorations you like. Because the chocolate ganache is so gloriously glossy, it provides the perfect canvas.

I finished the cake with a dusting of holographic edible glitter.

Because more is more. Right??

Chocolate Sparkle Cake with a galaxy of edible stars.

I almost called this Chocoale Sparkle Cake ‘Starry, starry night’ (Vincent), after one of my very favourite songs by Don McLean!

Because of the glossy, sparkly nature of this cake, as well as the moist, deep chocolate flavour, with a lingering background hit of Bailey’s, this could easily make a beautiful alternative to traditional Christmas cake.

When I look at this Chocolate Sparkle Cake it just screams ‘Party’! The perfect chocolate, celebration cake.

Everyone loved this cake and we also celebrated the safe arrival of a friend’s baby with a slice. Because it is a rich cake, a little goes a long way, meaning there is more to share.

Also, it keeps really well in a cake tin for 5 days. And yes it did last that long!!