Ingredients
- Some soft butter, for greasing the cake tin
- 280g dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
- 180g butter
- Pinch of sea salt
- 200g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Juice from 4 oranges
- Zest from 1 orange
- 20g caster sugar
- 200g mascarpone
- 30g icing sugar
- 1tbs vanilla bean paste
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 120 degrees. Grease a round loose base/springform cake tin (about 22cm) with soft butter and line the base with parchment paper.
- Break the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl along with the butter and salt. Place a saucepan on the heat with a small amount of water in it and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat. Sit the heatproof bowl on the saucepan and melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth and glossy, stirring occasionally. Then remove the bowl from the pan and allow to stand for a few minutes.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric hand whisk or mixer on a high speed until tripled in size and fluffy. Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture and whisk on a low speed until evenly combined, then pour the mixture into the lined tin.
- Boil the kettle. Tap the cake tin on a work surface to remove any air bubbles, then place the tin in a high-lipped roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiled water from the kettle into the roasting tray to come about halfway up the cake tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set but with a slight wobble.
- Remove the torte from the oven and allow to cool in the water-filled roasting tin for one hour. Then lift the cake tin out of the water, carefully loosen the tin, and lift out the base with the torte. Turn the torte out carefully on to a plate or board and remove the parchment paper.
- To make the orange syrup, place the juice from four oranges into a saucepan along with the orange zest and sugar and place on the heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes on a low heat until syrupy (should coat the back of a spoon), then allow to cool.
- Add the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and whisk lightly until evenly combined, then set aside.
- To serve, use a sieve to dust the torte lightly. Heat a knife in warm water, then slice the torte and lift on to serving plates. Spoon on some orange syrup, and add a small dollop of vanilla mascarpone.
