Orange and Chocolate Gâteau

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Orange and Chocolate Gâteau

Yield: 1 8†cake

# of Servings: 10

Method: Separated egg sponge

Difficulty:Moderate

Ingredients:

1 recipe Butter Sponge Cake      

1 recipe French Buttercream, or Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1 recipe Simple Syrup  

1 tbl grated orange rind (from 2 oranges)
1 tsp orange extract or orange oil

½ cup (4 fl oz) simple syrup
¼ cup fresh orange juice (from above oranges)
1 tbl Cointreau, optional

Chocolate Glaze
4 oz chocolate, 61% to 64%, wafers or chopped
3 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp light corn syrup

Finishing:
Reserved buttercream
1 tsp grated orange rind

Special tools and equipment required:

• 8†by 2†cake pan
• 8†parchment circle
• 7†cardboard cake circle (optional) 
• Handheld or countertop mixes
• Pastry brush
• Long spatula for glazing the cake
• 1 pastry bag with small star tip, such as Ateco # 843

Pre-recipe preparations:

• If buttercream has been refrigerated, bring to room temperature.

Directions

1. Beat the buttercream with the orange rind and the orange extract. Set aside. 
2. Flavor ½ cup simple syrup with the fresh orange juice.
3. With a long-serrated knife, slice the cake in three equal layers.
4. Place the bottom layer (bottom crust side down) on the cake board or a cake serving plate. Lightly brush syrup over the surface. It should feel slightly moist, not wet. 
5. Spread 1 cup of the orange buttercream over the cake layer. Place second cake layer over the buttercream and press lightly. Brush with syrup.
6. Spread an additional cup of the orange buttercream over the second layer. Place top cake layer, cut side up. Press down lightly.
7. Crumb-coat the entire cake with a thin layer of orange buttercream. Reserve 1 cup of buttercream for finishing the cake. Refrigerate for one hour.

Glazing the cake: 

1. Place the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a small heavy bottomed saucepan. 
2. Over very low heat, warm the mixture enough so the chocolate is mostly melted. Do not overheat. 
3. Remove from the heat and stir with heat-proof spatula or spoon until all the chocolate is melted. Stir with a whisk once or twice just until smooth. Do not whip air into the glaze.
4. Let sit, gently stirring occasionally until 90°F to 92°F.
5. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. 
6. Place the cake on either a cooling rack over a clean work surface or a decorating turntable.
7. Pour all the glaze over the top of the cake and with long metal spatula quickly spread the glaze over the entire cake, letting it fall over the sides. The less you work the glaze the shinier it will be.
8. Use the glaze that has dripped off the cake to cover any bare spots.
9. Lift the rack a half-inch off the surface and drop to help the glaze drip down the sides.
10. Let the cake sit until the glaze is set, approximately 1 ½ hours. 

Finishing:

1. Whip the reserved buttercream until smooth and place in the pastry bag with star tip.
2. Pipe small buttercream stars over the glaze. Using a paring knife or tweezers, top each star with a touch of grated orange. 

Serving and storing the cake: 

1. For optimal taste and appearance (shiny glaze), the cake should be served at room temperature. It may be left at a cool room temperature for 3 hours. 
2. Store in the refrigerator overnight and remove for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Notes: