Blood Orange Chocolate Cake

A chocolate cake filled with orange flavor, and topped with a dark chocolate frosting.

Author The Cupcake Chronicles

Cut the ends off of the oranges, then slice into very thing slices. About 1/4 inch.
Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar dissolves.
Lower heat to medium-low and add the blood orange slices.
Simmer the slices in the pan for 45 minutes. Remove the orange slices with a slotted spoon and leave on a baking sheet to dry for at least 24 hours uncovered. Once slices are dry and tacky, dip in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt. Put in refrigerator to set.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Put coffee, orange juice, vanilla and butter in a saucepan and heat until all the butter is melted. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Take off the heat, and sugar and brown sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Set mixture aside to cool and in a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl and temper the eggs by pouring a small amount of the melted cocoa butter mixture into the eggs while whisking. Add the cocoa mixture into the eggs a tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. After about 5 tablespoons it is safe to add the egg mixture to the rest of the cooling cocoa mixture. Mix well.
Add this chocolate and egg mixture to the bowl with the flour and baking soda and whisk until combined.
Evenly divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool layers before flipping out of the pans.

Add the juice of your blood orange into a saucepan with the water and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes. Let cool.

Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
Beat the butter in a stand mixture until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Once combined add in the vanilla, heavy cream and melted dark chocolate. Whip until fluffy.

Heat heavy cream in the microwave until boiling. Mix in dark chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Let cool.

Once the cake layers are cool, take the cooled blood orange syrup and drizzle it over each cake layer. You could use a brush to dab it on but we just poured it over. Let layers sit and soak it in for 5 minutes.
Put one cake layer on a cake stand and top with chocolate frosting. Cover with the remaining cake layer and frost the entire cake in more chocolate frosting. Once covered, take your chocolate ganache and pour it over the cake so it drizzles down the sides. Use as much or as little as you want. Take your chocolate covered orange slices and place all over the side of the cake.