Chocolate Loaf Cake

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced) and set aside a 6-cup capacity loaf pan.
2. Melt butter and dark chocolate in medium saucepan, then add milk, zest and vanilla and stir until smooth. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cocoa, then mix with almond meal. Stir into dark chocolate mixture then gently whisk in eggs until smooth.
4. Heavily grease fluted loaf pan with oil or melted butter, ensuring all crevices of the pan are well greased, then dust with sifted flour. Invert pan over the sink and tap gently to remove excess flour.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake in preheated oven for 55 -60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
7. If cake is stuck to the pan, placing the entire pan (open side up) in a tray of boiling water for 1-2 minutes expands the metal pan, allowing easier release of the cake.
8. If cake bakes with a slight dome, you may wish to slice it off the cooled cake to allow it to sit flat when inverted.

Blood Orange Glaze

1. Add blood orange juice to icing sugar and mix well until the frosting has a pouring consistency. It should be fluid but thick. If too thick, add a little more icing sugar and if too thin, add a little more juice.

Candied Blood Orange Slices

1. Place lemon juice, water, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a wide-based saucepan, stirring on low heat until the sugar dissolves.
2. Increase the heat to medium and place blood orange slices in the pan. The pan should be wide enough so that all slices are submerged in the syrup and cook evenly.
3. Simmer until slices are soft and slightly translucent (20-25 minutes) with shape still intact. Place slices on wire rack to cool.

To Serve

1. Drizzle with blood orange glaze and decorate with candied blood orange slices.

Enjoy!