Finally I have my own creation cake recipe. I always wanted so. Few trials, and finally i have a successful 100% jay’s recipe: chocolate orange cake.

The challenge was to create an egg, milk and butter free cake recipe:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp instant coffee

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 cup orange juice

3 tbsp orange zest

Sieve flour and cocoa powder. Mix with sugar, baking soda, salt, instant coffee and orange zest.

Make a well in the center and add oil, vanilla, white vinegar, water and orange juice. MIx well together and pour in a greased 11¨ pan.

Bake in the middle rack of the oven (180ºC) for 40 mns or until a skewer comes out clean. Start checking from 25 mns onwards.

Cool for 30 mns before inverting onto a wire rack.

Make sure the cake is completely cool before pouring the chocolate ganache over the cake.

Quick reminder of how we make chocolate ganache:

Put 200g of dark chocolate into a large heatproof bowl (must first be chopped into small pieces so that it will melt evenly). Bring 250 ml of cream just to a boil over medium-high heat or put for 3 mns in microwave; pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes.

Stir the mixture very gently, incorporating the cream steadily, without overworking. The mixture should begin to appear glossy.

Let it cool for 20 mns in the fridge before using it.

Choosing to do this fabulous cake today was for a reason. Tomorrow am going to Lebanon for the summer vacation. I wanted to prepare for my hubby his favorite cake, orange chocolate as a compensation gesture for leaving him alone in Doha .

Knowing that It’s my first time to bake this cake and i am so happy and proud to have my own creation recipe.

The chocolate and orange aroma was filling the house! i was cutting the oranges to decorate the top of the cake when Antoun arrived and couldn’t resist the smell.

He was so impatient, he barely gave me 5 minutes to take some pictures before he had the first piece in like 10 seconds!

Sure there will be no remaining till i leave! The cake will be hoovered today!

To not feel so bad for him, he will be following shortly for his sister’s wedding.

It will be a beautiful summer, full of plans and happiness, and we will be surrounded by the family. Stay tuned for beautiful posts from Lebanon, it might not be daily ones but i will do my best.