Chocolate Orange & Blueberry Cake

I've finally perfected my cream cheese frosting recipe!! Joy of joys! I can hear the trumpets a sounding!

Nine times out of ten I want to throw my frosting mixture against the wall because it's just not behaving to my OCD standards. I end up going through about three bags of icing sugar to get the right consistency.

Not this time. No siree!

I have conquered the cream cheese!

Defeated the frosting ratio gods!

Whooped the icing sugar's arse!

You get the jist.

This was originally going to be a humble orange & blueberry sponge but alas, William was involved in the baking process, so chocolate was added into the equation. Or rather cacao, because we've gone posh in this household we have! (And because I had some left over after making my delicious energy balls!)

I think we can get away with saying this cake is healthy-ish, right? 2 of your 5 a day and cacao is high in antioxidants...

Meh, who am I kidding. We'll all be the size of a house by Thursday morning. And I've made peace with that.

What you'll need // 

280g self raising flour

280g unsalted butter

280g caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp milk

couple drops vanilla extract

2 tbsp cacao powder

pinch salt

handful of blueberries

juice and zest of half an orange

For the FIERCE FROSTING

100g unsalted butter (room temp)

150g cream cheese

350g icing sugar

couple drops vanilla extract

Decoration

handful of blueberries

tsp of grated orange zest

sprinkling of cacao

What to do //

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (fan). Grease two sandwich tins 20cm in diameter.

Into a food mixer add all of your cake ingredients. Mix on a medium speed for 5 ish seconds. Scrape down the sides and mix again until well combined. Try not to over mix. 

Pour the mixture evenly into your two tins, (trying hard not to let any fall into your mouth).

Bake for approx 35-40 mins or until a knife comes out clean. Don't be fooled by the colour - that's the cacao not an over baked cake.

Leave to cool on a wire rack. 

With an electric hand mixer, whisk together your butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl for approx a minute. Add in your vanilla extract and icing sugar 100g at a time until fully combined. Refrigerate frosting whilst your sponges completely cool. 

Level the sponges by slicing off the raised tops before frosting and decorating to your heart's content! 

Happy International Women's day one and all!

#girlpower!

Now go put your feet up with a blankie, cup of tea and a slice of something sweet.

Betty x


If you'd like to bake these sassy creations along with me on insta stories, then find me on thebettystamp <3