I usually don’t like anything messing with my chocolate desserts. If it’s chocolate, it has to stay that way. No extra ingredients that just distract me from my chocolaty indulgence.

There are, however, exceptions to the rule.

The first time I tried an orange-chocolate combination was at the Rosetta in Mexico City.  For dessert, they have an orange flavored cannoli that you dip in chocolate…. to die for.  I think it’s the tartness of the orange combined with sweet cocoa that makes this combination heavenly.

So when I saw this recipe on Martha Stewart’s Living magazine, I knew I had to try it.

The cake is actually more like a pudding and it all gets assembled pretty quickly. Easy enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for a dinner party.

Recipe

Warm Chocolate Cake with Orange Creme Anglaise

Serves: 4 to 6

For the creme anglaise:

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest

coarse salt

3 large egg yolks

For the cake:

1 stick butter, plus more for greasing the cake pan

4 oz / 115 gr bittersweet chocolate

coarse salt

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons all purpose flour

1. Make the creme anglaise: bring milk, sugar, orange zest and pinch of salt to a boil and remove from heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and let stand 1 hour.

2. Reheat milk and whisk into egg yolks in a  bowl. Return to pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly. I usually use an immersion blender, but you can use a regular whisk. Keep cooking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour mixture through fine sieve and refrigerate until cold (about 2 hours).

3. Make the cake: preheat oven 400ºF / 200ºC. Grease a 6 cup gratin dish with melted butter. Melt the chocolate, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt in microwave in 10 second increments, mixing well after each one. Alternately, you can use a double boiler.

4. Beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light, frothy and thick (6 – 8 minutes). Add chocolate mixture, beat to combine. Add flour and beat to combine.

5. Transfer batter to dish and bake until set around the edges but still soft in center 12 – 15 minutes. Let chocolate cake cool for 3 minutes and serve with creme anglaise.