Dark Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 large eggs
• zest of 2 regular oranges
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Candied Orange Zest

• 1 orange
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water

Directions

1. Begin by preparing the candied orange peel:
2. Wash the oranges, then remove the zest with a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler.
3. Make sure that you remove the white parts from the peel since they are bitter tasting.
4. Place the zest in cold water for 2 hours. Then slice the peel into very thin strips.
5. To remove the bitterness from the peels, place the zest strips in cold water and bring it to a boil for 1 minute or so, then drain and repeat the process a second time.
6. Drain the zest strips and in a small saucepan and cover with sugar and water.
7. Bring to a boil then lower immediately the heat to a simmer and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water is completely evaporated and until the peels are translucent and tender.
8. Remove and set aside on a plate until ready to garnish.

Prepare the chocolate cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Beat the soft butter with syrup and the sugar until creamy.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder together, and beat into the syrup mixture one tablespoonful of the dry ingredients before beating in 1 egg.
4. Then add another couple of spoonfuls of the dry ingredients before beating in the second egg.
5. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then add, still beating, the orange zest and finally, gradually, the juice.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 – 45 minutes.
7. Let cool a little in the pan on a wire rack, then turn out over to remove from pan.
8. Garnish with candied orange peel.