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Cakespy: Chocolate Cakes Grilled in Orange Shells

Posted by cakespy, September 7, 2009 at 1:00 PM

Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) is a good pal of Serious Eats and an all-around super cool gal. Every Monday she will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe.

Ah, Labor Day, that last hurrah of the outdoor eating season. As I see it, there's only one major problem with this grill-friendly holiday: a severe lack of cakes. And so, in an effort to discover cakes that might lend themselves to outdoor preparation, I consulted the most knowledgeable experts I could think of: The Boy Scouts.

According to a vintage Boy Scouts camping recipe pamphlet I found at a local thrift store, these crafty boys have a sweet campfire trick up their sleeves that's easily translated to grilling: they bake their cakes over the fire in hollowed-out oranges. Strange as it may sound, it actually works.

The result is a very moist cake with a whisper of infused orange flavor. Apparently the Scouts don't have qualms about using cake mix. Just about every recipe I found called for it, so that's what I used, in the darkest chocolate variation I could find. However, I see no reason why the recipe wouldn't work with a batch of the homemade cake batter. If you do use a cake mix, though, it's OK: you can make up for this culinary sin by making the frosting yourself.

Two final notes: first, be sure to prepare these before grilling meat, as I can't vouch for the deliciousness of burger-infused chocolate orange cake. Second, if you don't have a grill, the recipe works just fine in the oven too--just place the filled oranges in foil directly on a cookie sheet and bake according to the cake recipe, allowing a few minutes either way on the specified bake time.

Chocolate Cakes Grilled in Orange Shells

- makes 12 to 15 cakes -
Adapted from The Boy Scouts

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix, or 1 batch of batter for a single-layer cake of your choosing
12 large oranges or 15 small oranges (types with a thick rind work best)
Rich Fudge Frosting (recipe follows)

Procedure

1. Mix cake mix according to the instructions on box; put to the side (do not bake).

2. Slice the top third of each orange; leave the top pieces to the side (you can use them as garnish later). Scoop the fruit out of the bottom 2/3 of the fruit, so that you have an empty shell.

3. Fill each orange shell 3/4 full with cake batter.

4. Nestle each orange within an 8-inch square of foil; place directly on grill.

5. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes; shift frequently. To check if the cake is done, insert a skewer or toothpick; if it comes out clean, the cake's ready.

6. At this point you have two options: you can let them cool, and frost liberally with chocolate fudge frosting and slices from the unused top portion of the orange as garnish; or, you can eat the hot, unfrosted cake directly from the orange. Your choice.

Rich Fudge Frosting

- makes enough frosting for 12 to 15 cakes grilled in oranges -

Ingredients

1 stick butter
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup light cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar

Procedure

1. In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and milk; bring to a light boil.

2. Add vanilla. Also add confectioners' sugar, cup by cup, stirring constantly, until the frosting has reached the desired consistency.

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Tags: cakes, Cakespy, chocolate, desserts, grilling, oranges