Marble cake

The incredible contrast of sweet chocolate with the aroma of orange and the tart citrus flavor makes this marble cake not only beautiful but also extraordinarily delicious.

Ingredients:

For the batter:
225 g butter (cut into pieces and softened);

225 g granulated sugar;

4 eggs (beaten);

300 g flour;

1 tsp baking powder;

1 large orange;

2 tbsp cocoa powder + 3 tbsp hot water (mix until dissolved and cool)

For the glaze and decoration:
125 g dark chocolate (broken into pieces);

125 ml cream (30-35%);

15 g butter;

1 small orange;

chocolate curls.

Beat the butter with a mixer until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, beating until a soft cream forms.

Gradually add the eggs and continue beating, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture begins to curdle.

Once all the eggs are added, gently fold in the remaining flour to achieve a homogeneous mixture.

Grate the zest of the orange (without the white pith). Squeeze the juice from the fruit.

Transfer half of the batter to another bowl, add the grated zest and 3 tbsp of orange juice. Color the second part of the batter with the dissolved cocoa.

Place a ring mold on a baking sheet. Spoon half of the chocolate batter into the mold, leaving some space between each spoonful. Fill the gaps with half of the orange batter. Then, using a skewer, randomly swirl both types of batter until you achieve a marbled effect.

In the same manner, layer and swirl the remaining chocolate and orange batter. Bake for 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer; it should come out clean when inserted into the cake. Leave the baked cake in the mold for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.

In a thick-bottomed saucepan, place the chocolate, pour in the cream, and add the butter. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until a homogeneous mixture is achieved. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and decorate.

How to make chocolate curls:
 
Melt 100 g of dark chocolate.

Pour it onto a sheet of parchment paper or a marble board.

Smooth it out (using a knife or spatula) and leave until almost fully set.

Carefully scrape off the curls with a knife held at an angle.

The resulting curls should be stored in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator, otherwise, they will develop a white coating.

Try to create the curls from still soft chocolate, not completely cooled, or else you will just be scraping the curls off with the knife.
One more thing: it is best to use special confectionery chocolate for such curls, rather than regular dessert chocolate, as confectionery chocolate contains a higher percentage of fat, which allows the curls to bend more gently without breaking.

If you couldn't find confectionery chocolate, then when melting regular chocolate, add 1 tbsp of butter to it.

That's it. The marble cake is ready.

Enjoy your meal!

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