Chocolate Orange Miniature Cakes

For some unknown and terrible reason, I have met more people that cringe, make disgusted faces, and throw a hissy fit at the thought of consuming both something chocolate and orange at the same time. I have speculated this, but have not come to a clear conclusion. Is it because I am from the Midwest and, by general rule, we abhor new and different things? Is it because we Americans have not been properly exposed to this perfect match made in the great dessert heaven? Or, is it simply because I have not met the right people? The Europeans have fully embraced this combination, lining the the market shelves with Jaffa Cakes, Chocolate Oranges, and even the Orange Twix. They have discovered (and capitalized) on this not-so-secret heavenly combination, so why can't we?

At a young age, my sister and I happened upon this blend of flavors. Peeling fresh oranges as fast as we could, we would dip them in melted chocolate and devour them whole. Our faces would be smeared with chocolate from top to bottom. There was no time for savoring. It was a sheer hunger, a ravenous force, that drove us, needing to have moremoremore.

All I ask from you is that you do not turn up your nose at these chocolate orange cakes (though I am not sure you could hold yourself back from the wonderful aroma wafting upwards if you did).

The cake layer is dry and crumbly on its own, moistened fully by the orange syrup. The chocolate orange ganache adds just the right touch to bring this cake up to the next level. However, I found that the amount of ganache the original recipe called for was too much and overpowered the rest of the cake. By cutting down the ganache by a third, this seemed to solve tbe problem. A thinner layer of ganache could even be used to better highlight the flavors present in the cake.

This cake reminds me quite strongly of a Jaffa Cake (with an adult twist), minus the orange jam.

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