Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

It's officially autumn though seems like summer doesn't wanna leave us here in Barcelona. I can't complain, I'm loving these (maybe the last?) hot and sunny days we are having: days are still long, I can go out to hike at 7pm and enjoy beautiful dusks or ask my sister to make her delicious homemade lemonade or my latest summer obsession: Agua Fresca (watermelon fresh water). I'm afraid this warm weather won't last too long and in just a few weeks I will start my seasonal wardrobe change but...hey, I have a lot of beautiful new autumn clothes I got for my birthday (bye bye twenties!) and I can't wait to wear them!

I made this chocolate orange loaf cake on monday for my brother's birthday. I knew he already had his birthday cake but I couldn't help it and baked this special treat for him cause I love to bake for my loved ones and both my bro and niece love chocolate as much as I do...especially my little punk princess, she's a chocolate monster like her aunty! ;-)

If there is one ingredient that tastes heavenly good combined with chocolate it is, definitely, orange. I LOVE this combination and I'm sure you'll fall in love with my loaf cake once you taste it: perfect sweet and tangy mix, moist and tasty. It's a very easy recipe so you have no excuses!

Receta en español aquí!

Chocolate orange loaf cake

Ingredients
(Serves 8)
3 eggs.
1 non-fat chocolate yogurt.
2 cups* sugar.
1/2 cup sunflower oil.
2 1/4 all-purpose flour.
3/4 cup pure (unsweetened) cocoa powder.
16g baking powder.
orange zest.
60-70g dark chocolate, chopped.
candied orange peel to decorate.
 
*1 cup in this recipe = 1 yogurt container.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF).

In a large mixing bowl place eggs and sugar and beat well. Add in the chocolate yogurt and orange zest, keep beating.

Gradually pour in the oil and don't stop beating.

In a separate bowl mix together the baking powder, flour and cocoa powder. Make sure all the dry ingredients are well combined. Sift them into the wet mixture. Mix well until creamy and fluffy. 

Grease a loaf pan with nonstick spray (or margarine) and dust some cocoa powder.

Pour half the mixture into the prepared pan and stir the chocolate chunks, add in the rest of the mixture and finally the remaining chunks.

Bake for around 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf cake comes out clean.

Decorate with candied orange peel about halfway through baking time.

Enjoy! =)