Terry’s Inspired Eggless Cake with orange, chocolate, strawberries & cream … a celebration of flavours to begin the year and possibly one of my most delicious eggless layer cakes to date. Winter is a charm for baking a layer cake since everything sets well, holds up beautifully and behaves as expected. This orange cake was nothing short of amazing, every layer in perfect harmony.
The icing on the cake literally Terry’s Orange Slices, an orange flavoured chocolate we love to love, a staple Xmas stocking filler, a flavour that evokes a great deal of nostalgia. Terry’s has been on my list ever since I began visiting the UK in the late 1980’s, yes, that long ago when I worked with British Airways.
Orange was always a fave flavour, I mean you could never go wrong with it. As time passed and I started writing this blog way back in 2007, a load of orange painted my blogposts.
Orange flavoured everything when oranges were in season, that was mostly winters. Orange flavoured cookies, hot chocolate, orange almond pound cake, carrot orange turmeric soup, orange layer cakes, orange caramel custard, date walnut orange flapjacks … wherever possible, there’d be hint of orange. Now Terry’s is playing a part too and I’ll tell you why…
Of late, I’ve begun visiting the UK several times a year since the husband now works there. Every visit is pure nostalgia with so much to do and so little time. There’s something so satisfying getting around London, be it Central London or then driving around nearby places like the Cotswolds.
Every season is different, each visit special! I’m always thankful to my trusted Google Pixel that lets me effortlessly capture memories so easily and quickly!
If I’m in the UK, Terrys is always on my list, more so around Xmas. So many more flavours now with mint and orange toffee crunch etc, but dark orange remains my first choice, inspiring me in more ways than one.
Dessert with orange is just the tip of the iceberg. I find the orange uplifting, the fragrance so alive, that citrusy burst holding the promise of so many possibilities. At the heart of this orangey love are my little tangerine shrubs.
The fact that the little tangerine shrubs can deliver over 3 kilos of fruit every season is quite fascinating. Sun ripened, no pesticides, fruit 3-4 times a year, what more could I ask for? I think the furries also look happier around this pretty fruit, Bambi & Poppy having the time of their life in the sun!
As time passed, I stepped into exploring more stuff I could do with my little tangerine tree that bore fruit 3-4 times a year, the branches hanging heavy with the prettiest little oranges imaginable. I was smitten. The little shrub is an ornamental plant found across the subcontinent, and most folk have one for its visual beauty alone. I don’t blame them because that’s just how it started for me too.
And then one day a chance conversation with an old friend of my mothers who had just gifted us a jar of marmalade led me to the most exciting discovery – Bitter Orange Marmalade quite simply made out of these little tart tangerines or ‘narangis‘ as they are referred to locally. Call them kumquats, calamondins or tangerines, this delightful home grown produce rewards you with the most delicious bitter orange marmalade made with just 3 ingredients – tangerines, sugar and water.
I’ve shared the recipe several times on the blog and it’s fascinating to see the marmalade set without pectin or any added setting agent. I was told that the seeds of this fruit contain a natural pectin that help the jam set which is why the seeds are put into a bouquet garni and simmered with the fruit!
With so much fruit on hand, I find myself making and bottling this bitter orange marmalade quite often. Most jars make delicious home made gifts for family and friends. A couple of jars stay really well in the fridge, finding their way slathered onto hot buttery toast, pound cakes, moist carrot walnut cake, tart cakes, zested into the most divine wholewheat eggless cookies, in delicious desserts, in a favourite ghee marmalade granola {must share that recipe soon, it’s a winner}, as an inherent part of my energy bars, to paint the base of a fruit galette, to add a layer of deliciousness to pastry or layer cakes, to chili relish to cut the heat, to an orange chicken marinade and so much more. You can also add star anise, finely chopped ginger ginger or 1 thinly sliced fresh red chili to the marmalade while making it for interesting flavour variations…
Long story short, please do try making a batch of bitter tangerine marmalade someone day if you possibly can. It tastes clean, refreshing, is bursting with flavour and the best part is that it’s very very rewarding. I use this on toast obviously, but also very often to add a burst of freshness to layer cakes like the one above. Else use your favourite store bought marmalade brand and pair it with quintessential Terry’s slices on top to recreate this absolutely delicious Terry’s Inspired Orange Chocolate Eggless Layer Cake! It’s a perfect dessert for V Day next month, for Spring & Summer, for a birthday too. Enjoy!!
Do share a comment here on the blog if you make this, or any other recipe from PAB. I’d love to see it! Thank you for stopping by.
Terry’s Inspired Orange Chocolate Cake / Orange Chocolate Strawberry Layer Cake
Eggless orange sponge
- 210 g cultured buttermilk plain chaach
- 50 g neutral oil
- Zest of 1 orange
- 100 g castor sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 150 g all purpose flour maida
- 25 g almond meal
Marmalade layer
- 50 g Bitter orange marmalade melted
Strawberry layer
- 225 g fresh strawberries chopped
Chocolate mascarpone filling
- 200 g cream / 25% fat cream 25% fat
- 100 g white couverture chocolate chopped
- 225 g mascarpone softened, whisked smooth
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dark chocolate layer
- 150 g cream 25% fat
- 120 g dark couverture chocolate
- 15 g clarified butter / ghee
Cointreau to moisten
Garnish
- Terrys chocolate orange 8 slices , fresh strawberry slices to garnish, mint etc
Eggless orange sponge
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Makes 2 X 8″ sponges
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Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two loose bottomed round 8″ tins with parchment.
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In a large bowl, add all the ingredients in the order mentioned and give them a good whisk. An electric hand blender does the job swiftly and well.
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Divide the batter between the tins, approx. 275g each, tap sharply on the counter and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 15 minutes, then cool completely on the rack.
White chocolate mascarpone filling
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Make the filling just before you need to use it as it’s easiest to fill when soft. As it cools, the chocolate will help it set.
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In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream for a minute, 30 seconds at a time.
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Add in the white chocolate and leave until the chocolate softens. Whisk until smooth.
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Whisk in the mascarpone and vanilla extract.
Dark chocolate layer
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Make the dark chocolate layer after the cake has frozen/set in the freezer. It’s best to leave the cake with the chooclate layer in the freezer for 10 minutes. Once set, peel the acetate sheet off, and leave the cake in the fridge overnight.
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In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream for a minute, 30 seconds at a time.
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Add in the dark chocolate and leave until the chocolate softens. Ad in the clarified butter / ghee and whisk until smooth.
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You can add a dash of Cointreau if desired.
Assemble
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Place one sponge on the serving platter and secure a 3″ collar around it. Place an adjustable cake ring around it to hold it in place.
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Moisten the layer with Cointreau {or alternatively a simple sugar syrup} and then brush with melted bitter orange marmalade.
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Scatter over the chopped strawberries making sure the entire layer is covered, pushing them to the edges against the acetate sheet.
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Top the strawberries with the white chocolate mascarpone filling and level out.
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Gently top the cream with the second layer of sponge, moisten it with Cointreau and brush with the remaining melted bitter orange marmalade.
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Place this in the freezer for 6-8 hours until the cream filling sets and is holding well in place. If you take it out too soon, it might bulge with the weight of the sponge on top and might not hold shape.
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Once the cream feels solid and set, top the cake with the dark chocolate layer and place it back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, until the dark chocolate layer feels firm.
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Peel off the acetate sheet and leave the cake in the fridge overnight to gently defrost.
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To finish, garnish with Terry’s Chocolate Orange slices, fresh strawberries, mint etc.
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