Chocolate Orange Cake & SANTA!!!!

You know, when I think of Christmas, the flavor that immediately pops into my head isn't peppermint or eggnog. It isn't nutmeg or cinnamon. It's a Terry's Chocolate Orange. 

I mentioned here how I always stuff the bottom of a stocking with a chocolate orange, and I look forward to cracking it opening and eating the slices every year. Maybe it's because I can't have real oranges or anything acidic due to a medical condition. Maybe nobody else thinks chocolate and oranges should go together. Maybe it's just me. But the chocolate oranges in my stocking every year are my jam, and they are something that represents Christmas to me. 

Anyhow, I've been craving a good chocolate cake lately, and I thought that this would be a great cake to make for my sweet mama's birthday, which is just before Christmas. It's a double chocolate chunk, Grand-Marnier infused cake, filled with orange chocolate ganache, and frosted with orange chocolate, Grand-Marnier buttercream frosting. And I have a secret to share about this cake. 

It starts with a cake mix.

I know.

I don't use cake mixes often, and I will tell you upfront if I am using one, but I was doing some research for a future post about hacking cake mixes. This was one of my subjects, and it passed, so I thought I'd share since it's the Christmas season and I don't know how much longer the chocolate oranges will be around. {Side note- do they even sell these chocolate oranges at any other time of the year? IS it a Christmas thing? Or am I just a complete weirdo who has invented this? Surely not..).

The first rule of hacking a cake mix is to use butter in place of oil and milk in place of water. The thicker the milk, the better. I made this with a specific mix, so I can't be sure how my exact measurements would fare in a different product, but it would be worth some experimentation. I reduced the amount of milk and added in a bit of Grand Marnier into the batter to give a little orange flavor. Then I tossed in a healthy amount of chocolate orange chunks. I ended up using 3.5 chocolate oranges for this cake. Roughly 1/2 of one in the cake batter itself so that the cake has chocolate chunks; 1.5 in the ganache; and 1.5 in the frosting. What did I do with the other half of the last one? I ate it, duh. But back to the cake; it was YUMMY. You would never know it started with a mix. My daddy refused to believe it and proceeded to eat half the cake in less than 24 hours. 

And it's Viv approved.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker dark chocolate cake mix

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup Grand Marnier 

1/3 cup butter, softened (but not melted)

3 large eggs

1/2 chocolate orange, chopped

*Preheat oven to 350.

*Using a food processor, chop chocolate orange into small chunks. Spray 3 8-inch pans with Baker's Joy spray.

*Beat the butter in a stand mixer until whipped. Add in cake mix, milk, Grand Marnier, and eggs. Beat for a couple of minutes until mixed. Fold  chopped chocolate orange chunks into the batter.
*Divide batter into 3 pans. Follow baking directions on box. I think I baked mine around 30 minutes. 

*Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes in pan, and then remove from pan.

Chocolate Orange Ganache Filling

1.5 chocolate oranges, chopped 

2/3 cup(ish) heavy cream*

**I don't use precise measurements when making ganache, because it depends on the texture I am aiming for. Heat it and pour in as much as you need for the texture you want.
*Heat cream in microwave until bubbly. Pour into chopped chocolate and stir until melted and creamy.

Chocolate Orange Buttercream Frosting
1.5 chocolate oranges, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
7 tablespoons (or more) water
1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

*Melt chopped chocolate orange in microwave and then stir together until creamy and melted. Cool until lukewarm but still pourable. Mix cocoa powder and 7 tbsp water together and heat in microwave until warm. Stir until smooth and thick but still pourable, adding more water by teaspoonfuls, if necessary (I didn't need to add more). Cool
*Beat butter, 1/3 cup of the confectioner's sugar, and orange peel in the bowl of a stand mixer to blend. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually add remaining 3 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Beat in Grand Marnier.

Assembly.
*Place one cake layer on platter. Pipe a circle of frosting around the edge of the cake circle, creating a dam for the ganache. Pour half of the ganache into the center of the circle and spread smooth. 
* Place the second cake layer atop the first. Repeat the previous steps.
*Place the third cake layer atop the second. Do a quick, thin crumb coat with frosting and put in refrigerator for a few minutes for the frosting to set.
*Remove cake from fridge and put on the final coat of frosting. 
*I topped mine with orange peel curls and Lindor orange chocolate truffles.
*Enjoy!

In other news, we went to the Bass Pro Shop to see Santa. He's the best one around here. Of course, I think he's the only one around here. But there is no fancy appointment system, and it isn't very crowded if you go on a week night. I have seen so many of my friends post pics of their tots HATING the crap out of Santa, and I die looking at them. They're too funny. But, alas, I do not have a hilarious picture of my kids hating Santa to share. They both loved him. 

Vivi flirted and pulled on his beard, and Bobby was trying to bro-down with him. Actually when we were trying to leave, he ran back and climbed back up on his lap. (Side note- I don't know what is up with Bob's expressions in these pics.) He was upset to leave..until he walked past all of the 4 wheelers sitting outside the Bass Pro Shop. We had to sit on literally every one of them before leaving. What a guy.

They really interact with each other now and talk to each other in a language I don't understand. And, oh joy, they have just started to engage in a bit of sibling rivalry. He has started doing things to piss her off. He pushes her when I'm not looking, and she steals his toys. Then he steals back. She's mastered the eat-shit-and-die look. But then they kiss and make up.

I finally got out of my weird exhausted little funk when I caught Steel Magnolias on AMC Wednesday evening. That is my second favorite movie of all time, and it always brings a smile to my face. There are so many amazing lines; I can quote the entire movie. And no matter how many times I see it, the scenes of Shelby with her mama get me every time. After I had a good cry, I felt so much better and am ready to finish out the Christmas season with a bang. 

This weekend we are looking forward to enjoying a fire in our fireplace, going to the festival of trees, watching the Christmas boat parade, and baking Christmas cookies. Maybe we won't do all of that, but we will put it on our list and see what we get accomplished. 

Hope y'all all have an amazing, warm weekend with your loved ones.
Keep on keepin' on!
-Annette