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Love is in the air, and in this season of romantic candlelight dinners and roses, chocolate is a Valentine’s Day gift that never gets old. With a silky smooth texture and a delicate, distinctive flavor, it’s a treat that tantalizes the senses.

There are thousands of chocolate products available, from chocolate bars to chocolate cakes, brownies, chocolate mousse and chocolate macaroons, not to mention handmade chocolate truffles and chocolate charlottes.

That last treat might sound unfamiliar. A charlotte is a molded hot or cold dessert, usually made with a casing of sweet sponge cakes, or ladyfingers, and a light filling inside. The filling tends to be a custard-based mixture, mousse or a jellied dessert, sometimes poured over a thin layer of fruit set with jelly.

If you’re looking for a special way to impress your Valentine this year, charlotte is for you, and this week’s recipe will show you how to prepare a chocolate variety with orange marmalade. It’s easy and delicious. Enjoy.

Chocolate charlotte and orange marmalade

As a note, it can be tough to mold the sponge cakes correctly, so I used a heart-shaped cutter to simplify the process. Recipe makes 4.

Ingredients: For the sponge cake

100 grams unsalted soft, chilled butter; 100 grams flour, sifted; 100 grams caster sugar or superfine sugar; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted; 2 eggs; 15 grams chocolate powder or 1.5 tablespoons, sifted; 1 vanilla bean, cut in half, seeds scraped; parchment paper; 3 tablespoons good quality orange marmalade, chopped roughly and set aside

For the chocolate mousse

100 grams 70 percent dark chocolate or milk chocolate; 2 egg yolks; 2 tablespoons cream ; 3 white eggs, beaten; 3 tablespoons caster sugar;

You will also need a heart-shaped cake tin or cutter and 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier (optional).

Directions:

To make the sponge cake

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Combine the flour, chocolate, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well and set aside.

2. Mix the butter and caster sugar with an electric hand mixer until it becomes pale white and add the vanilla seeds. Slowly add the beaten eggs and then the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time.

3. Place parchment paper on top of a baking tray and grease the paper all over with melted butter. Pour the mixture and spread it around into a square shape with a half-centimeter thickness.

4. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.

5. In the meantime, make the chocolate mousse. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it very slowly in a bain-marie, or in a heat-proof bowl placed on top of a pan with simmering water. When the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Leave it to cool for about 5 minutes and continue mixing it.

6. Add the egg yolks one by one and then 2 tablespoons of cream, mixing well.

7. Blend the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to give it a smooth and silky texture. Put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to chill.

8. To serve, cut the cake with a heart-shaped tin mold and place the first pieces on plates. Spread the marmalade and 2 tablespoons of mousse on each cake, then place another layer of cake on top. Drizzle on Grand Marnier, dust with icing sugar and garnish with rose petals. Serve immediately.