Chocolate cake with blood oranges.

This post was supposed to be about chocolate cake, but instead I find myself yearning and longing for Sicily and the island’s unforgettable blood oranges.

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Chocolate cake for every occasion

Chocolate cake must be one of the most versatile for all cakes. There seems to be a chocolate cake for every country, season, mood and occasion. From the ubiquitous simple chocolate cake topped with shredded coconut or jelly fruits served at almost every Norwegian child birthday to the dark and classic patisserie style Sachetorte. From the American Mississippi mud cake with marshmallow topping to the centrepiece of a French Christmas dinner, the Bûche de Noël (Yule log). And in between the fudgy brownie so simple and quick to make it fits for any occasion.

Still, I rather choose other cakes. Since childhood I have been faithful to my one and only Kvæfjord cake with its almond meringue and vanilla cream. But as the saying goes, variation is the spice of life. Why not go for the classic combination with chocolate and oranges? To kill the last remains of winter blues, a bowl of blood oranges might be the perfect choice. Chocolate and oranges, companions forever and ever.

Piece of chocolate cake

King of oranges: Arancia Rossa di Sicilia

While berries reign the sweet kitchen in the summer, oranges and citrus fruits truly shine in the winter. And the brightest star of them all, the citrus fruits from Italy. Sample the word: Arancia Rossa di Sicilia. Red orange from Sicily. The King of Oranges come from Italy’s boot.

Arancia Rossa de Sicilia grows in the fertile foothills of the Mount Etna in eastern Sicily. Mount Etna is Europe’s highest and most active volcano. It has caused the devastation of cities but also made possible the growth of citrus fruits, peaches, cherries, apples, vine terraces, pears, chestnuts and a whole range of other nuts. At the foot of Mount Etna’s white powdered peak lies the city of Catania – Sicily’s second largest city after Palermo. This is where the dish Pasta alla Norma originates from, and probably also granita.

The orange arrived in Sicily from China in the 15^th century. Later an ordinary orange mutated. The blood orange was born; in the beginning very small and filled with seeds. Later bigger, sweeter and even without seeds.

Arancia Rossa de Sicilia has a protected geographical status. As with champagne from the Champagne district in France it all depends on what is called the terroir. Only the best blood oranges from eastern Sicily has the right to the name. What makes the orange magic is the fertile volcanic soil and the contrast between warm days and rather cold nights.

Blood orange: Arancia Rossa Sicilia

Tarocco – the sweetest of them all

There are three types of blood oranges: sanguinello, moro og tarocco. Looks can be deceiving. Moro has the appearance of a blood orange, but the orange skin of the tarocco hides the most lovely sweet flavour.

Moro is deep red, sometimes on the verge of black, aromatic and slightly bitter. Sanguinello is orange with red streaks and originates from Spain. The tarocco on the other hand is the most popular table option in Italy, in contrast to moro and sanguinello used mainly as orange juice. The tarocco has no seeds, the highest level of C-vitamins and the sweetest flavour of them all. The season for the tarocco is January until May.

Cold night, ruby colour

What creates the ruby colour of the blood oranges, the arance rosse, is a red pigment called anthocyanin. Cold temperature during the night is what activates the pigment. Anthocyanins is also a powerful antioxidant. Hence blood oranges contain more antioxidants than other oranges.

In Italy blood oranges are often served in a salad with red onions and fennel. For dessert however, the Sicilians who usually have a sweet tooth, serves the oranges plain with no adornment. I deviate from the rule and travel with my Italian blood oranges to France to make a caramelized blood orange sauce similar to the sauce the French serve with pancakes, Crêpes Suzette.

This chocolate cake is a little bit Norwegian, a little bit Italian and a little bit French.

To make the cake moist, the filling should be spread on the cake while it is still warm.

Dark and moist chocolate cake

Sponge:
135 g / 4,8 oz butter
75 g / 2,6 oz dark chocolate (70 %)
75 ml water
5 eggs
100 g / 3,5 oz light brown sugar
125 g / 4,4 oz caster sugar
135 g / 4,8 oz flour (or gluten-free flour)
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Filling:
50 g / 1,8 oz butter
50 g / 1,8 oz caster sugar
100 ml heavy cream
100 g / 3,5 oz dark chocolate (70 %)

1. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F/Gas 4. Line a baking tin (about 20cm/8in).
2. Melt the butter, allow to cool for a few minutes and add chopped chocolate. Stir and add the water.
3. Whisk the sugar and eggs with an electric beater until pale and fluffy.
4. Mix the dry ingredients and gently fold into the egg mixture, alternating with the chocolate mixture.
5. Pour the batter in the baking tin, and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the butter and sugar in a pan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cream and chopped chocolate and stir until everything is smooth. Keep warm.
7. Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes, remove the parchment paper. Carefully divide the sponge into two, and spread the filling on the cut side of the bottom half. Place the top half of the cake on top and spread the rest of the filling.

Caramelized oranges

5 blood oranges (or 4 ordinary oranges)
50 g / 1,8 oz caster sugar

1. Grate one orange to make zest. Bring the zest to boil in a little water and drain. Repeat three times. This process reduces the bitterness of the zest. Put aside.
2. Segment the oranges and save the juice. It should be about 200 ml juice. This post explains how to segment an orange.
3. Make the caramel: Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and allow to melt. Be patient. Do not touch the sugar.
4. When the sugar has turned into caramel, add the orange juice and boil for 10 minutes until the sugar has melted and the sauce has reduced. Do not boil longer, then the taste will become somewhat bitter.
5. Allow the caramel to cool and add the zest and orange segments.

If you want to see wonderful pictures from Sicily, have a look at

La Tartine Gourmande

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Banana cake with chocolate, almonds and spice.

Is banana cake the most tolerant cake in the world?

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This is my everyday cake. The cake I bake to have a sweet bite with my coffee. It has a lot of bold flavours without getting overtly sweet. There are many reasons to make banana cake. First of all it is extremely easy to make, even easier than brownie because it is almost impossible to bake too much in the oven. It is brilliant leftover food with the best result using overripe bananas. The sweetness of the bananas makes it possible to use less sugar. Finally, it is tolerant.

If you have food allergies, banana cake is a cake that is just as good without flour, dairy, nuts or eggs. Of all allergies egg allergy seems to me as one of the hardest to live with. What is breakfast without pancakes or eggs? What is a cake without the chemistry of the egg? By accident (I forgot eggs one time I was baking) I discovered that banana cake without egg works just fine. This is because the bananas do the same thing as the egg: They bind the cake.

My banana cake is not all about tolerance. It is also delicious with a rich flavour and delicate texture. Again, the bananas play a substantial role. The cake is moist while caramelized and crunchy on the outside. I have baked and baked to find the perfect taste, and to me it is the addition of coconut palm sugar, almond flour, chocolate chunks and a subtle hint of spices. I use coconut palm sugar instead of refined sugar to achieve a more caramelized taste and because it is has a low GI index. If you are allergic to chocolate and nuts, just omit them. The banana cake still retains a lot of flavour.

Looks may be deceiving. Banana cake with chocolate. Perfect with coffee or tea.

This makes one little loaf tin or a little bundt pan.

Banana cake

75 g / 2,6 oz butter
3 small or 2 big overripe bananas
1 egg (optional)
75 g / 2,6 oz coconut palm sugar
75 g / 2,6 oz almond flour (or wheat flour)
50 g / 1,8 oz flour (gluten-free or wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/3 tsp ground cloves
a pinch of salt
40 g / 1,4 oz dark chocolate (70 %), chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Place parchment paper in a loaf tin or a little bundt pan.

2. Melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.

3. Mash the bananas with a fork in a bowl. Add the melted butter and egg and combine until blended.

4. Add the sugar, flour and the rest of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour in the tin and bake for about 30-45 minutes.

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Birthday cake with edible car. And driver.

How to throw a magical truck birthday party.

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When my little son wakes up in the morning, the first thing he does is looking out of the window, pointing and saying truck. All cars outside are trucks. When I try to explain that trucks are big cars and cars are small, he looks wide-eyed at me, nods and repeats my words. The next time he sees a car he calls it truck. So for his birthday, we had to make him a truck-birthday!

A truck-birthday does not mean you have to make cakes that look like cars. Instead you can place the cakes in different types of vehicles and give them funny names. So watch out, Car-Brownies, A truckload of buns and Gravel cakes are driving your way:

Brownies are easily fitted into the car theme. Decorate the cakes with cars on cocktail sticks, bought from toy shops or the internet.

Serve the buns in a large truck, a truckload of buns. The truck is made of paper and can be ordered from merimeri.com.

In Norway a classic at Christmas and children’s parties is risboller. These are easy no-bake chocolate buns made of puffed rice and is the Norwegian equivalent of cornflake cakes. Use puffed rice or cornflakes, but name them Gravel cakes. You can also add your kid’s favorite chocolate. I have added Smash, Norwegian corn chips with chocolate. Serve the Gravel cakes in a wheelbarrow or as I did, in my son’s lunchbox (which of course is decorated with a tractor) and in a little cake tin from Marks & Spencer.

I have to make one little exception though. Thanks to my partner, one of the cakes is topped with an edible car made of sugar paste, liquorice wheels and milk chocolate.

Puffed rice cakes with the Norwegian corn chip chocolate called Smash.

It does not take much to throw some magic dust on your kid’s birthday. Wish you best of luck!

Puffed rice cakes (risboller):

1 egg
75 ml / 2,5 oz sugar
100 g / 3,5 oz chocolate (containing 50 % cocoa), chopped
100 g / 3,5 oz coconut fat (or butter)
about 100 g / 3,5 oz puffed rice
a pinch of salt (if using coconut fat)

1. Melt the coconut fat (or butter) in a pan and remove from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and make sure all chocolate has melted.

2. Beat the sugar and egg until pale and fluffy. Mix with the chocolate and a pinch of salt. Stir in the puffed rice. You can make them chocolaty or “ricy”, but remember if you are using too much puffed rice the cakes will easier fall apart.

3. With a spoon, make small cakes and place on parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator. The cakes will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

A car made of sugar paste with liquorice wheels and a steering wheel made of milk chocolate.

More tasty dishes for the whole family?

Brownies with salted caramel sauce, pecans and ice cream
Norwegian pancakes with chocolate, coconut and bananas
Pasta Bolognese for non-Italians

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Brownies with salted caramel sauce and sugared pecans.

How to make brownies with salted caramel sauce and pecans on the side.

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Baking powder, flour, eggs and sugar. This is what we are taught most cakes need. But not brownies. Brownies chooses its own road. It does not want baking powder and is not fond of flour. Instead it helps itself with some extra sugar, steals some chocolate and flirts with Peggy Pecan.

Brownies are ubiquitous, but not all brownies are brownies. Some are fudgy chocolate cakes. In my opinion brownies should be a mix between chocolate cake and cookies. They should not be too dark, and they should contain so much sugar that the edges are slightly crispy but still moist and chewy on the inside. If you decrease the amount of sugar (and believe me I have tried) it will turn into a chocolate cake, not brownies.

The hardest thing about brownies is bake it just right. Long enough to avoid a mud cake, short enough to avoid it getting dry. In this respect, lots of sugar come in handy. The rich amount of sugar makes it more difficult to bake the brownies dry.

My version of brownies is pretty childish and becomes even more childish when served with ice cream, caramel sauce and pecans. If you want to make an easy dessert easier, skip the brownies and just serve ice cream with pecan nuts and caramel sauce. It is still a dessert that will haunt your guests. Buy the ice cream but make the caramel sauce yourself.

The rule of making your own caramel sauce is a spoon of butter and twice as much heavy cream as sugar. Drizzle the sauce on top of the ice cream while still warm. Also, you can easily substitute the flour with gluten-free flour. Brownies is one of those cakes that easily bares the transition from gluten to gluten-free. And the cake is also suitable for those allergic to nuts since the nuts are served on the side.

The cake is suitable for those allergic to nuts since the nuts are served on the side.

Brownies (makes 4-5)

150 g / 5,3 oz butter
50 g / 1,8 oz dark chocolate (70 %), chopped
200 g / 7 oz sugar
2 organic eggs
75 g / 2,6 oz flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Melt the butter in a pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the chopped chocolate. Stir until blended.

2. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the melted chocolate and butter. Fold in sifted flour and cocoa powder.

3. Pour the batter in a small pan with parchment paper. Bake in the oven in the lower position for about 25-35 minutes. In contrast to other cakes, brownies should not come clean when you insert a skewer in the center of the cake. The skewer should come out with wet crumbs.

Salted caramel sauce

40 g / 1,4 oz sugar
100 ml / 3,4 oz heavy or double cream
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp flaky salt (e.g. maldon sea salt)

1. Place the sugar in a heavy-based pan and shake the pan so the sugar distributes evenly. Let stand on medium heat until the sugar melts into a light brown caramel. Have patience and do not stir. It may take about 5-10 minutes for the sugar to dissolve. Keep your eyes on the pan the whole time. When the sugar first starts to melt, it will turn from brown to burnt in just a few seconds.

2. Right after the sugar has turned brown, add the cream and stir well. The caramel will first harden and splutter. Keep cooking while you stir until the caramel has melted. Remove from the heat, add the butter and salt.

Sugared pecans

A generous handful of pecans
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp water

1. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and add the pecans. Toast the nuts for about 5 minutes while you shake the pan often. They are finished when they start to smell.

2. Add the icing sugar and water, shake the pan well and remove from the heat.

More sweet delights?

Roasted plums with cookie topping
Cupcakes three ways

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