Chocolate orange cake with fresh oranges?

[Frontier]

I'm not sure exactly how it happened but I have a number of oranges that need using up. My DCs have requested chocolate orange cake.

When I make a plain chocolate cake, I usually use Nigella's Maderia cake, swapping a couple of tablespoons of flour for cocoa. This is popular with DCs and a bit more solid than many cakes, so it travels well in lunch boxes etc.

The original (non-chocolate) recipe uses lemon juice for the liquid, although I use milk in the chocolate version. So, I'm thinking I could mix in some segmented oranges and their juice, plus zest to make a chocolate orange cake. Do you think it would work, or does anyone have a better idea? It will be mostly used in lunchboxes that get carried around all day, so it can't be too fragile.

[HappydaysArehere]

Could you mash the oranges up with some marmalade. Then make your chocolate cake as usual. Put half the mixture in the tin, then spread the orange, marmalade mixture across and cover with rest of cake mixture. Bake as usual. Good luck.

[bberry]

Search for an orange/semolina cake..... Whole oranges just blitzed up and it's a great travel cake.... Ultra easy... Just add some chocolate....x

[Thurlow]

Nigella has a cake you make with oranges or clementines, eggs and ground almond instead of flour, and I think she has a recipe for that which includes chocolate? Gorgeous cake. I think it's probably online as Nigella's clementine cake?

[Buscake]

Nigella has a chocolate orange cake in Feast. Here's a link www.food.com/recipe/nigella-lawson-flourless-chocolate-orange-cake-303266 it is honestly one of the best cakes I've ever made! Hope it hits the spot :)

[Frontier]

Oh, Oh, Oh. I've found a orange semolina cake on BBC food. When you say whole oranges, you/they mean skins as well? Really, that's OK? Love it if it is, the faff of peeling oranges is the reason we have them left!

[hellymelly]

I am hungry now. Cake hungry.

[Frontier]

Oh, the Nigella one looks fab too and that uses the skins as well

[Thurlow]

Buscake, that's the one! It is utterly amazing. Boil oranges. Mix with almonds. Cook. Bingo. Might make one this weekend, actually...

[Buscake]

I might have to as well Thurlow just to check my recommendation holds up of course...

[bberry]

Yep.... Just blitz those whole oranges...

I know, how easy is that ?????

[Frontier]

I made the Nigella one, although I didn't have enough almonds so used half plain flour, half almonds. Also smuggled in an extra orange and reduced the sugar a bit, as the point of the exercise was to use up the oranges. I did it in two loaf tins, rather than one big round one, as it fits lunchboxes better and we have one for the freezer!

Very picky DS2 has pronounced it the best cake ever and DS1 loves it too. The smell when you take the lid of the tin is amazing. Thank you.

[coffeeinbed]

I use polenta for half of the almonds.
It's lovely.

It's also good with lemons.

[Buscake]

Glad it went down well :) good to hear it can be done in a loaf tin too!