Chocolate loaf cake with blood oranges and tahini mascarpone cream

One thing I miss about living in a house share is the constant willing participants in my baking projects. A houseful of people ready and waiting to consume whatever creation took my fancy was fun, and meant nothing ever went to waste, even when it wasn’t my best work. I’m lucky to share a little slice of London life with just one other person now, but with fewer people to share with comes much less baking.

For now, my answer to this tends to be bakes that are easily stored and enjoyed over a few days (think cookies and brownies that can be reheated and made delicious if they’re a few days stale), or things that can travel easily to share with friends across the city. Although, when presented with the opportunity to bake for an occasion like a birthday or special dinner, I tend to err on the side of untransportable, and have recently carted a three-tier cherry and almond cake two hours and four buses to a party. Nobody’s perfect, right?

This cake is an example of something I’d make with no special occasion in mind, except celebrating blood orange season (which I’m well aware is now over, but you can still find them in the shops, if not a little bruised). The chocolate loaf is equally fluffy and squishy and lasts well when wrapped, and the toppings can be kept separately in the fridge. To create a perfectly chocolatey sponge, I’ve used espresso and sea salt - both of which enhance the flavour of the cocoa and chocolate chips.

For the toppings, I’m taking note from Nigella’s recipe for chocolate banana tahini pudding, served with a tahini cream that I often miss out when I make it (I shouldn’t, because it’s delicious). It’s tangy, nutty and rich. The real star of the show is the juicy, sweet yet slightly bitter blood orange. It’s the ideal companion for chocolate and tahini, bringing a fresh brightness and gorgeous colour. If you can’t find blood oranges, clementines would work well too.

For the chocolate cake
175g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
175g soft light brown sugar
3 medium eggs
50ml espresso
75g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, melted
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
175g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
75g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, chopped

For the blood oranges
2 blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 tsp icing sugar

For the tahini mascarpone cream
250g mascarpone
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
4 tbsp tahini

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy - this will take at least 2-4 minutes of whisking.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each egg for a few seconds.

4. Then, add the espresso, melted chocolate and yoghurt and beat again until combined.

5. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and fold using a spatula until combined. Then, add the chocolate chips and fold again.

6. Tip the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with the spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a an inserted metal skewer or knife comes out clean.

7. Meanwhile, macerate the blood oranges by mixing the orange slices and icing sugar together in a bowl. Set aside.

8. Then, using an electric whisk, beat together the mascarpone, yoghurt and tahini until smooth.

9. When the cake is baked, allow it to cool completely in the tin before removing, slicing and serving with a dollop of the tahini cream and a slice of blood orange.