What could be nicer than a a slice of delicious, homemade cake? Well two slices of course!

Our fabulous moist chocolate takes yumminess to the next level - with the addition of sophisticated, subtle citrus flavours.

Today we are celebrating International Cake Day  (26th November) by putting on our aprons, getting out our mixing bowl and creating this scrumptious tea-time delight of moist chocolate cake filled with a triple sec ganache and covered in a orange buttercream.

Chef Esmaralda Leonard, Food & Beverage Manager at Morukuru Family Madikwe shares her top secret ingredients which guests love so much they beg her for the recipe before they leave the lodge. "You can’t beat a slice of this cake - except by serving it with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or a dollop of creme fraiche and if you are feeling very naughty - a shot of limoncello!" she adds. 

  Chocolate & Orange Cake Moist Chocolate Cake filled with a Triple sec Ganache and covered with an Orange Buttercream Ingredients  1 cup Coca Cola (the real thing, not diet) ½ cup sunflower oil 115g butter 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 2 cups granulated white sugar 2 cups cake flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs ½ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda I teaspoon vanilla essence Method

• Pre- heat oven to 170°C
• In a saucepan, mix coca cola, oil, butter, and cocoa powder and bring to a boil
• In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt
• Pour the boiling Cola mixture over the flour mixture and beat well
• Add the eggs, buttermilk, soda, and vanilla and beat well
• Divide batter in half, pour mixture into two greased and lined baking pans (20cm) and bake for 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean
• Remove pan and cool for about 10 minutes before frosting 

Ingredients for ganache centre 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped 150ml heavy cream 30ml Triple sec Method

• Bring the cream to a boil
• Pour over cholate chips and stir until chocolate is melted
• Stir in the triple sec
• Allow the ganache to semi-set before putting on the first layer
• Once set, spread on the first cake layer, top with the second cake and allow to set in fridge until the ganache is hard.

Ingredients for the orange buttercream 300g Butter at room temperature 600g Icing Sugar, sifted 75ml Freshly squeezed orange juice Method

• Beat the butter with half of the icing sugar until creamy
• Add the lemon juice, alternately with the rest of the icing sugar and beat well until the icing is fluffy.
• Ombré optional: Divide the icing in three and use orange food colouring. Leave one portion as is, then add a little food colouring to each of the remaining portions, adding slightly more to each one to create the darker shades. Place icing sugar in three separate piping bags with a star nozzle. Start piping at the bottom with the darkest shade first.

Garnish: candied orange peel (optional)

• Wash one orange and trim the rind from the orange using a vegetable peeler
• Finely cut the orange peel lengthwise to create thin julienne strips
• Place the strips in a small saucepan and cover with cold water
• Bring to a boil and the simmer for 6 minutes on medium heat
• Remove from heat and strain
• Add 80ml water and 80ml white granulated sugar
• Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer on low heat until the syrup becomes thick
• Strain and dust in castor sugar
• Place on a non-stick mat and allow to crisp up in a 100°C oven