Festive Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

Directions

Orange sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170c. Line 3 x 6” cake tins with baking paper. Mix together the butter and sugar in a bowl for 2 mins. Add the orange zest, extract, eggs, half the sifted flour, salt and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until combined.
   

2. Bake the cakes for 20 mins or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
   

Chocolate Christmas tree cupcakes

1. Melt the chocolate and sugar in a sauce pan, remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 mins. Add the sour cream and eggs to the chocolate, mix until combined. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder together and stir into the chocolate mix.
   

2. Spoon into small cupcakes cases or silicone moulds and bake for 12-15 mins @170c. Set aside to completely cool.
   

Chocolate orange buttercream icing

1. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool for 10 mins. Mix the butter for 2 mins until smooth. Add half the sifted icing sugar, cocoa powder, salt, orange extract, milk or heavy cream and the melted chocolate, mix until combined. Add the remaining sifted icing sugar and mix until combined.

2. Spread the chocolate orange buttercream icing on the first layer on the cake, then stack the second cake on top and repeat. Turn the third cake upside down and stack on top of the second cake.
   

3. Spread the chocolate orange buttercream all over the cake and smooth the sides with a cake scraper. Put the cake in the fridge for 30 mins.
   

Vanilla buttercream icing

1. Mix the butter for 2 mins until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, green gel food colouring and the sifted icing sugar, mix until combined.
   

2. Pipe onto the chocolate cupcakes and decorate with sugar balls, snowflakes and top with a gold star.
   

White candy melts ganache

1. Melt the white candy melts in a bowl with a 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Heat for 10 seconds at a time until the candy melts have melted. If the candy melts are not runny enough warm the remaining heavy cream for 10 seconds in the microwave. Add to the candy melts and stir until combined.
   

2. Remove the cake from the fridge and drizzle the candy melts ganache on the top and down the sides of the cake. Make shorter drips at the front of the cake as you need space at the bottom of the cake to add the Christmas sugar decorations. If the ganache is dripping too far down the side of the cake put it back in the fridge to set for 15 mins.

Decorate

1. Remove the cake from the fridge and stick on a variety of Christmas sugar decorations and sugar ball sprinkles. Stick the larger Christmas sugar decorations on to the cake by adding a small amount of the melted candy melts to the back.
   

2. Add the Christmas tree cupcakes to the top of the of the cake and your Christmas masterpiece is finished!