For the ambitious baker – try Nancy’s showstopper from week 1 of her Bake off experience.
MAKES 12
FOR THE ORANGE ZEST
- 1 Jaffa orange
- 200ml water
FOR THE JELLY
- Flesh of 1 Jaffa orange
- 90g caster sugar
- 75ml water
- 1 sheet leaf gelatine
- Red/yellow food colour
- 1 tbsp Cointreau
- Spray vegetable oil for greasing pans
FOR THE CAKES
- 190g soft margarine
- 190g caster sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 190g self-raising flour
FOR THE CHOCOLATE
- 100g Dark Chocolate, 70-75% cocoa solids
- FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 75g unsalted butter
- 250g icing sugar
- 25ml whole milk
- Half tsp orange extract
FOR THE ORANGE PASTILLES
- Leftover orange rinds
- 50ml water
- 50g caster sugar syrup
FOR THE TOPPING
- 75g milk chocolate, melted
- Gold food colour
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- Make the orange zest pastilles by first paring the rind from the oranges and place the strips in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring this to the boil, simmer for 2-3 mins then strain and reserve.
- For the jelly, chop up the orange flesh and place in a saucepan with the 90g caster sugar and 75ml water. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves then bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins. Put the sheet of gelatine in a jug of cold water to soften for 10 mins.
- Blitz the cooked orange mixture with a hand blender until fairly smooth, then to enrich the jelly appearance, add a couple of drops of red and yellow food colour. Finally add 1 tbsp cointreau and the sheet of gelatine. Leave to cool and firm up.
- Next make the cakes. Grease the 12 mini cake tins and place on a baking sheet. Whisk together the soft margarine and caster sugar until very light and mousse-like. Gradually add the beaten eggs a little at a time and the vanilla extract to the batter, then fold in the sifted flour gently to keep the air in the mixture.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the mini tins. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/gas 4 for about 20 mins.
- When cooked, the mini cakes will be springy to the touch and an even colour. Leave to cool for a minute or two and then remove the tins. Leave to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate discs, break the 100g chocolate into a non-metallic bowl and microwave on full power for one minute at a time, stirring between blasts until the chocolate is melted.
- Spread the melted chocolate onto the plastic sheets. Put into the fridge for a minute to harden.
- Remove from the fridge, leave for a few minutes then with the cutter (heated in hot water) make 12 discs in the chocolate, even though it may still be soft in places. Put the sheets back into the fridge to set fully.
- Meanwhile, make the orange buttercream by placing the butter and icing sugar in a mixer and beat on a low speed until the mixture has the consistency of breadcrumbs, then add the whole milk, turn up the speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add the orange extract.
- To assemble the cakes. Slice the top from each cake to achieve a flat surface and turn this to the bottom. Slice each cake into two using a serrated bread knife.
- Pipe a circle of buttercream around the cut edge of the cake, then with a piping bag filled with the orange jelly, fill the centre of the cake. Put the tops onto the cakes and spread a thin layer of the remaining jelly – then secure a chocolate disc on the top.
- To make the orange pastilles, cut 12 rounds from the reserved orange rinds using the wide end of a metal icing nozzle, and place these in a small saucepan with the 50ml water and 50g caster sugar.
- Place on a low heat and dissolve the sugar and then simmer for 5 mins. Take the pastilles out of the syrup and place on a fine rack. Sprinkle a sparing amount of edible gold glitter over the pastilles.
- To finish the cakes, melt the milk chocolate in the microwave and pop into an icing bag, then make a gold icing using 2 tbsp icing sugar and gold food colour and place this into a disposable icing bag also.
- Pipe a milk chocolate detail onto the disc and top with a jaffa pastille.