weekend cooking - chocolate cake with a touch of orange

Sometimes I don't feel like doing much. I just want to sit on a couch, read a book, enjoy a cup of aromatic tea and a piece of cake. Since I don't feel like doing much, the cake must be easy to make. Since I want to enjoy it - it has to be extremely nice. Like this chocolate with orange aroma.

Chocolate Cake with a Touch of Orange
 (one 30x40cm pan)

225 gram dark chocolate, broken into little pieces
125 gram butter
grated rind and juice of 1 big orange
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
your favorite topping/frosting (optional)


Melt chocolate with butter in a small pot, put it aside to cool down a bit. When chocolate is lukewarm, beat the egg yolks with sugar until white and creamy, then - beating constantly at a low speed of the mixer - gradually add the chocolate, orange rind and juice. Gradually add flour and baking powder.
In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff. Pour chocolate mixture over whites, folding gently until just blended.
Turn mixture into a buttered and floured baking pan, bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes.
When the cake is done, leave it in the pan to cool.
You can put your favorite chocolate topping over the cake and sprinkle it without even more chocolate or finely grated and dried orange peel.

 I must say the cake is nicer after a couple of hours, and the next day it's even better. If it only gets any chances of surviving that long ;-)