Chocolate, Orange and Hazelnut Cake

• light olive oil175ml ml

  plus extra for greasing

• blanched hazelnuts140g g
• orange juice↗100ml ml

  plus zest of 1 orange

• self‑raising flour↗140g g
• baking powder↗½ tsp tsp
• cocoa powder↗50g g
• large eggs↗3
• light brown muscovado sugar↗175g g
• golden caster sugar↗300g g
• large orange↗1

  sliced into 3 mm (1/8 inch) rounds

• orange juice↗75ml ml
• dark chocolate (dairy‑free)↗100g g
• blanched hazelnuts50g g

  toasted

• edible gold dust↗1 tsp tsp

  (see tip)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Prepare caramelized orange slices a day ahead if possible. Place sugar and 300 ml water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, add the orange slices and cook 1 hour–1 hour 10 minutes until the interior becomes translucent, turning occasionally. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Carefully remove the slices from the syrup, spread them on the prepared sheet and let dry (at least 8 hours) before halving. Reserve the syrup.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4. Lightly grease a loaf pan (my was 900 g) with olive oil and line with a strip of parchment paper.

3. 3

   Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor to a coarse crumb (do not over‑process or they’ll become buttery), then add to a bowl together with orange zest, a pinch of salt and the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Mix until homogeneous.

4. 4

   Pour the oil and orange juice into a jug and mix. Place the eggs and sugar in a mixer on the counter or a large bowl and whisk for 5‑10 minutes until the mixture triples in volume and a ribbon forms on the whisk.

5. 5

   Slowly add the oil mixture to the eggs, gently folding until combined. Add the flour mixture to the eggs in 3‑4 portions, gently mixing until incorporated. Do not sift the mixture over the eggs, but avoid dumping the flour in one spot – be careful and gently fold to keep the batter light. Once fully combined, pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50‑55 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. 6

   Pierce the top of the cake all over, then pour 5 tbsp of the reserved orange syrup. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto a rack to cool completely. Trim the top of the cake (save it for a mini‑trifle) and flip, cut side down, onto a serving plate.

7. 7

   For decoration, pour orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Place chocolate in a small bowl, pour orange juice over it and stir until a smooth ganache forms. Set aside in the fridge to thicken, about 20‑25 minutes. Toss hazelnuts in a small bowl and add gold dust with a drop of water, mixing to coat. Pipe the ganache into a pastry bag with a small round tip. Pipe peaks onto the top of the cake, decorating with gold hazelnuts and orange slices. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.