Bittersweet Chocolate and Orange Sponge Cake

Last week I wrote about one of my numerous phone calls with my Maltese granny who is actually my boyfriend's granny but over the years, after so many stays on her home island and through our shared passion for food she "adopted" me. That's how it feels, she became my granny. In our last conversation she gave me a wonderful recipe for the Maltese tea time cookies with vermouth and she also mentioned a cake made with bittersweet chocolate and orange (juice and zest). I love this combination but my boyfriend isn't so fond of it and I didn't want to end up eating a whole cake on my own. But she insisted on giving it a try, she knows her grandson after all, and she was right!

We both agreed that this cake is amazing, simple but so aromatic. The texture is very spongy and on top it has a fine sugary crust, a bit flaky. I sprinkled it with some more chocolate when the top was still a bit warm and it melted into the crust. Granny Edith was right, I didn't have to eat the cake on my own and it didn't even last for 2 days!

Bittersweet Chocolate and Orange Sponge Cake

For a 20cm / 8″ cake pan you need

• butter 180g / 6.5 ounces

• granulated sugar 210g / 7.5 ounces

• plain flour 180g / 6.5 ounces

• baking powder 2 teaspoons

• a pinch of salt

• organic eggs 3

• orange juice 2 tablespoons

• orange zest 1 1/2 tablespoons

• bittersweet chocolate, chopped coarsely, 100g / 3.5 ounces plus 1 tablespoon finely grated for the topping

Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F (fan-assisted oven) and butter the cake pan.

Mix the butter with the sugar and orange zest till fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well for a couple minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and orange juice and mix quickly until everything is combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate and scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes and sprinkle with finely grated chocolate.