Zesty Chocolate and Orange Loaf Cake

Ingredients

175 g butter, softened

175 g caster sugar

3 large eggs

Grated zest of 1 orange, plus 1 tablespoon of orange juice

200g self-raising flour

50 g ground almonds

A splash of milk

3-4 Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Doughballs, crumbled

To decorate:

Melted chocolate

Flaked almonds

Slices of orange peel

orange zest

orange slices

Check out this super refreshing loaf cake using zesty oranges and our decadent double chocolate chip cookie dough – perfect for sharing with friends and family

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C/1650 Fan and grease and line a 900 g loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add a couple of tablespoons of the weighed flour if the mix looks as if it is beginning to curdle.

Add the orange zest and orange juice followed by the flour and ground almonds. Beat until you have a smooth, thick batter. Add a splash of milk if it is a little too thick.

Spoon ¾ of the mix into the prepared tin. Scatter over the crumbled cookie dough, nestling in so that it is evenly distributed throughout the loaf. Top with the remaining mix and smooth over the surface.

Bake for around 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean – the exact time will depend on the shape of your tip (some loaf tins are long and narrow, others are shorter and thicker).

Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with your chosen decorations. Cut into slices and serve.

Cook’s Tip

Get creative with the decoration – you can use different flavours of chocolate or ring the changes and use hazelnuts instead of almonds.