Rose Red: Domestic Goddess - Store Cupboard Chocolate Orange Cake

So, here's the deal: I've resolved to make at least one new item (ie never before made by me from this recipe) from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, at least once a week. I haven't counted, but there's probably about 200 recipes in the book. Some I won't make, most I will. That's it.


February 24, 2007 - Store Cupboard Chocolate Orange Cake, pp 170-171
Another easy-peasy cake recipe, which Nigella promises you can make from ingredients in your pantry. If you have "good quality fine cut marmalade" in your pantry, that is, which I don't. But that's easily fixed by a trip to the shops.

The other great thing about this cake is that it is mixed in a saucepan using a wooden spoon - no need for mixer, handbeater or 5 different bowls. Excellent for washing up efficiency! You melt the butter, add the dark chocolate until it is soft then remove from heat and stir stir stir. Then you add caster sugar, eggs, pinch of salt and the jam (you can also substitute other flavours of jam for the marmalade - wouldn't raspberry be tasty!). Then last of all, SR flour. Mix mix mix then bake.

Nigella warns that it is not a particularly attractive cake so a dusting of icing sugar is called for. She did not warn that the excessive stickiness of the jam would make the bottom of the cake stick to the (alleged) non-stick cake tin, but clearly if I had stopped to think about it I should have realised this would be the case. I used one of those new plasticky flexible cake tins, but next time I will make sure I've got a springform tin and will flour and line it well!

Served while still a little warm, with cream - it was delicious! My brother and sister-in-law both had seconds!

PS - anonymous, the handbag is from Loewe.