As I sit here writing this story, I can’t believe our baby boy is already two years old. So much has happened this year that it really feels like it has gone by in a blur. But here we are November 25, Edmund's birthday. I’m grateful to take this time to slow down and reflect on his two years of life on this earth. I don’t think I can begin to describe the impact Edmund has had in our lives. He has done nothing but add more joy, more fun and a lot more trouble to our daily lives.
His endless energy constantly keeps us on our toes and when I say his nickname is Edmund the destroyer, I mean just that. when I compare him to a superhero, I tell people he’s like the Hulk. He truly is a little rascal, endlessly, running, climbing, bouncing, and scooting around. What a true adventure he has been.
When I was thinking about what cake to make for his birthday, I decided to go with his favorite fruit, well at least his favorite fruit this month which has been oranges. I’m pretty sure if he was left to his own devices, he would devour an entire bag of oranges all on his own. And what goes better with oranges than chocolate? I dare you to think of a better combination.
For the Cake:
168g (12 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
146g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
151g (2/3 cup) light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 teaspoons orange zest
227g (1 cup) buttermilk. shaken, at room temperature
113g (½ cup) sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
210g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour
84g (1 cup) good cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the Chocolate Orange Butter Cream:
84g (1/2cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
56g (4 tablespoons) butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
500g (4 cups) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
84g (6 tablespoons) half-and-half
Filling and Ganish:
About 4 oranges, remove the peel and segment the oranges.
84g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips, melted
1 package of candied oranges (optional)
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prep two 9-inch round cake pans.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy. Next add one egg at a time until they are fully incorporated. Next, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Then add half the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, mix together. Then add the buttermilk and given it another mix. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix again. Lastly, add the yogurt, the vanilla and orange zest and mixed together. Divided the batter between the two cake pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Once the cakes are baked, allow them to cool.
When the cakes are baking, whip up the frosting. Add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest, melted chocolate, half-and-half and whip together until light and fluffy. My frosting still looked a little thick, so I added about 3 tablespoons of orange juice to thin it out a bit.
Cut and segment about four small oranges to fill the middle of the cake and set aside. Lastly dip, your candied oranges halfway in some melted chocolate and allow them to cool and set.
Now it’s time to assemble your cake. Put a small bit of frosting on the bottom of your cake stand and place your first layer on top. Next, spread a thick layer of frosting on top and add your orange segments.
Put the next layer on top and spoon out every last bit of frosting. Spread the frosting on top and around the sides leaving a few nice swirls on top. Garnish with a few of the chocolate dipped candied oranges and your cake is done.
We had a small party with our close family. We sang happy birthday, and the look on Edmund’s face was absolutely priceless as he blew out his two candles. I popped a bottle of champagne, as I cut thick slices of cake and passed them around for everyone to enjoy. Here’s to you, Edmund! May you bring us many more years of love and small heart attacks.
My family loved this chocolate orange cake, and I know yours will too. I sure hope you give it a try this holiday season. If you want to stay in the loop and never miss another blog post, subscribe to my blog here.
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