Chocolate orange cake with clotted cream frosting

For the chocolate orange cake

• Salted butter 150g, softened, plus more for the tin
• Plain chocolate 150g, chopped
• Light muscovado sugar 180g
• Large orange 1, zest of
• Medium eggs 3
• Vanilla essence 1 tsp
• Rodda’s clotted cream 115g
• Self-raising flour 135g
• Cocoa powder 30g
• Baking powder ½ tsp

For the clotted cream frosting

• Unsalted butter 200g (room temperature)
• Icing sugar 400g, sifted
• Cointreau 50ml
• Rodda’s clotted cream 100g (room temperature)

1. For the chocolate orange cake: grease and line 3 x 16cm round tins. Preheat the oven to 160° / gas 4.
2. Gently melt the butter, chocolate and sugar in a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little, then add the orange zest.
3. In another bowl, beat together the eggs with the vanilla and clotted cream. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into another bowl and whisk to distribute. Stir the egg mix into the cooled chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour mix and fold through.
4. Spoon a third of the mixture into each tin and level off with the back of a spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just cooked – a skewer should come out clean with a few crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool for a further 10 minutes then remove lining paper.
5. For the clotted cream frosting: beat the butter until pale and creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between each addition. Beat in the Cointreau and taste, if you like a little more feel free to add. Finally, beat in the clotted cream until just combined.
6. To assemble: check the cakes are flat and level so they stack nicely – if they have a little hump you can trim.
7. Put the first layer onto a cake stand and spread a layer of frosting on top (around 2 mm), then add the second cake and sandwich together by pressing gently with your palm. Make sure the cakes are level and in line.
8. Add another layer of frosting then take the third sponge and invert it on top of the other two cakes, so that the smooth part of the cake becomes the top.  Spread the excess icing that might be oozing from the sides, and smooth over the whole cake with a small amount of additional frosting to seal in the crumbs. Put the cake into the freezer for 10 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes.
9. Add the rest of the frosting to the cake by spreading over the top and sides, then use the rounded end of the palette knife in a backwards-and-forwards motion to create a lovely finish.